Who is Volition and Action Haiti?

Volition and Action Haiti is a nonprofit organization that serves as a bridge to connect generous people to thousands of children in need in Haiti. The word “Volition” means a deep and overwhelming desire, a passion that can’t be denied to take action to solve heart-breaking problems.

VAH seeks out partners (both individuals and organizations) to help us send children in need to school, to help us feed them, help us mentor them while helping their families to become sustainable by giving them business training and micro-financing loans to finance their small businesses.

The intention is to help build a better life for a few thousand children in desperate need and their families. We believe that we are planting seeds in the lives of children and their families. These seeds will help them grow to better their communities, resulting in harvesting a brighter future for all. We are promoting education, gospel center teaching to children, putting a stop to hunger and improper nutrition, and reducing unemployment by promoting business startups and expansions (through training centered on biblical teachings, known business principles, and funding) in areas that are either economically challenged, impoverished, or in areas of great potential for gospel impact through business development of economic activities.

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Our Goals Shape

Goals of Our Partnerships

We are seeking partners that will support us with prayers, advice, networking, and financial support to help with our five areas of operations.

Besides equipping children with education, proper nutrition, and bible teaching, we are in turn partnering with many small businesses that will be equipped to carry out our principles and values, and our shared mission and vision of using business as a mission to empower others.

Become a Partner See Our Partners
Plant Seeds

We are planting seeds of hope for a transformational change in the Lives of Children, their families, the cities, the states, and the country by sending children to school, providing them with proper nutrition, and after school technical training, help their families to rise from poverty and become sustainable by giving them business training and a microfinance loan to start their small businesses. Then present the gospel of Jesus Christ as the missing ingredient to their life transformation.

Grow Community

With proper education, nutrition, an after-school program, the gospel of Christ, and the development of the business venture, children and their families are growing to be better citizens of their communities. Children grow to be healthier and become great examples for their peers and their families.
The business owners we support are highly encouraged to use their profits and reinvest them into the local community to promote more growth.

Harvest Good.

Through growth and success, we pass on the education of Christ, business training and micro-finance, and empowerment of children, so families become independent, and spiritually and socially responsible.

Become a Partner See Our Partners

Problems And Solutions

Education problems

Education levels in Haiti are low. 50 percent of Haiti’s children do not even attend primary school, while 80 percent fail to reach secondary school. Therefore, the children grow up having no opportunities to develop intellectually. Many of them end up being a danger to society in general.

How do we Help?

Through our education program, VAH has successfully sent two hundred and fifty children to school and provided them with school tuition, school supplies, and mentorship support

But.. We need to do more!
Education Problems
Education problems

Education levels in Haiti are low. 50 percent of Haiti’s children do not even attend primary school, while 80 percent fail to reach secondary school. Therefore, the children grow up having no opportunities to develop intellectually. Many of them end up being a danger to society in general.

How do we Help?

Through our education program, VAH has successfully sent two hundred and fifty children to school and provided them with school tuition, school supplies, and mentorship support

But.. We need to do more!

Few Opportunities for Higher Education
Few Opportunities for Higher Education

There are few credible universities in Haiti, so many high school graduates have no access to high education. Accepting the current reality of our nation’s poverty, VAH’S goal is to equip them from a young age with technical skills which will help them to survive in case they are not able to attend college, or they are college graduates but can’t find a job in their field of study.

How do we Help?

Through our After School Program, We train 150 children and young adults with valuable and sustainable technical skills.
But.. We need to do more!

Hunger &Poor Nutrition
Hunger & Poor Nutrition

More than 40% of the Haitian population is food insecure. When a child is hungry, she is unable to perform academically regardless of how much support she receives. As we believe that education is a major key to a child’s success, we must provide them with good nutrition helping them to learn and stay healthy.

How do we Help?

Through our Meal Plan program, VAH has fed more than 1,000 families.

Little Access to the Gospel of Christ
Bible Study Program

Children and families are hungry for something missing. This mission ingredient is the gospel of Jesus Christ.
As believers and church leaders, we believe that our mission is to create programs and activities which will help strengthen children and their families’ beliefs at their own will.

How do we Help?
  • Weekly Bible study to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ with children and their families.
  • Give away 450 bibles to kiddos and their families.
  • 85% to 90% of our children and their families are going to church regularly.
  • 15 parents received  in 2021.
Lack of Job Opportunities
Unemployment Problem

The unemployment rate in Haiti is as high as 70 percent. Therefore, to survive, 90% of the population engages in informal entrepreneurial ventures to support their families. Our goal is to help strengthen these small business owners’ ventures through solid business training and micro-finance. We recognize that VAH can’t directly fix the lack of jobs, but we can prepare people for a better life and long-term sustainability.

How do we Help?

Through our Microfinance Program, VAH has trained more than 50 families and given microfinance loans to 20 families to open their small businesses.

Success Stories

Rachael Murtaugh

GIS Analyst

Comment : What you are doing for Children in Haiti inspires me. I need to give you a call soon.

Noah Davis

Realtor at Skogman Realty

Mt. Mercy graduates make impactful changes all over the world, Ricardo Etienne is a great example of how one person can make a difference.

Joe Golding

Partner at Next20 Partners

Comment: Cool! Ricardo is doing great work in Haiti.

From Jim Thebau

Former Owner and Founder at AMPERAGE Marketing & Fundraising

Congrats

Ricardo Etienne on the wonderful work you do through the VAH for the children and families in Haiti. I support your organization. And have made a trip to Haiti to see the need and what we in the U.S. can do to help. Best

Quote from our beneficiaries

Miss Honoré Gustave

Since 2017, My husband’s church, the church of the new Jerusalem has collaborated with Volition and Action Haiti to help mentor children spiritually and help send them to school. This partnership has had a great influence on the lives of these children. 85% of the beneficiaries come to church regularly. We can affirm with confidence that God is using Volition and Action Haiti as a vessel to change lives in Haiti.

Success Stories from Individual Partnership with small business owner

Mr. Pierre Joseph

He is a widower with four children. She lost his house, his job, and his wife during the earthquake of 2010 in Haiti. He enrolled in our business training and micro-finance program where we gave him a loan of $ 650 to start a grocery store in his community.

Mrs. Jacinthe Marie Carmelle

Owner of Marie Bakery

She is a widow with 5 children. She lost her husband in the 2010 earthquake in Haiti. VAH supports 3 of her kids. We enrolled her in our business training and gave her a loan of $ 1000 to finance her bakery start-up. Now she owns the only bakery store in the community where she lives.

Story Of Leila and her Family

I thank you for your sponsorship. Because you decide to help support me, I have the opportunities to learn and grow physically, mentally, and spiritually. There are so many needs in my family, the need for food, housing, clothing, shoes, and the gospel. Surely, your contribution brings a positive influence on my life, my family, and indeed, ultimately the entire community cannot be underestimated. Your sponsorship and prayers bring much joy and happiness to me and will allow me to continue my education.

Story Of Fabiana and her Family

My name is Fabiana. Thank you for supporting me to go to school for the last few years. I was born on February 2, 2005. I am 13 years old. I live with my mother and my little brother. The place we live in is one of the most dangerous places in our village. We have bad people, smoking and doing a lot of bad things to children, most young girls. I thank God for his protection over my life.

After the earthquake in my country, my mom lost her house and my dad was hit and affected by brain damage. Because we did not have enough money, I could not continue to go to school. We had to go and live in camp housing where we have and continue to struggle for food. When I was little, we did not have a bed and we had to sleep on the wet and cold floor every night.

Thanks to Volition and Action for Haiti, I was able to go back to school. About a year ago, I received a picture of a white family who loves me and Mrs. Ricardo told me that they are the people who pay for my school tuition every year. I love both of them and the lady is very pretty. I hope to meet with them someday. I am now in 9 the grade.

Your decision to help support me was the answer to my mom’s prayer, and surely one day I want to be a nurse to help other children in Haiti.

Thank you very much and God bless you.

Your Donations Help Make This All Possible

Help us Empowering the poorest by promoting education, proper nutrition, self-employment, and the gospel in Haiti.
It’s not how much you give but how much love we put into giving.

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