About Us
UPLIFT Haiti organizes teams of volunteers to work directly with Haitian partners to create or strengthen a community's public health, education, employment and the local economy. UPLIFT Haiti is a Section 501(c)(3) tax-exempt public charity.
Haiti stands today as the Western Hemisphere’s poorest country. It would greatly benefit from technical assistance in building sustainable systems for improved health care, sanitation, capacity building and infrastructure.
Such systems are lacking because of the oppression and poverty that have been twin legacies of Haiti’s history since the arrival of Europeans in 1492. On Hispaniola—the island today shared by Haiti and the Dominican Republic--the voyages of Christopher Columbus were preludes to three centuries of slavery.
During the colonial era, Spain, Britain and France pillaged the island’s natural resources and the energy and blood of its human captives. By 1789, one-half million slaves formed the engine of Hispaniola’s lucrative exports of sugar, coffee, cocoa, indigo, tobacco, cotton and sisal.
But a slave rebellion began in 1791 in the western half of Hispaniola, and after more a decade of brutal fighting Haiti proclaimed its independence on January 1, 1804. The Haitian Revolution remains the world’s only successful slave rebellion.
Since then, however, Haiti has struggled and failed to meet the revolutionary promises of freedom, equality and fraternity. Dictators, U.S. occupations, governmental weakness and endemic poverty have not fostered a secure environment for developing modern infrastructure.
Natural disasters and the global rise in food and fuel prices have further threatened Haiti’s security and the capacity of its economy. The 2010 earthquake killed hundreds of thousands of people and decimated buildings, records and government and commercial operations. The earthquake resulted in a cholera epidemic—through negligence of United Nations personnel. Finally, tropical storms and hurricanes are threats every year, bringing more devastation and hopelessness.
Why then have the people of Haiti not given up on their country? The vast majority are patient, hard-working, and hopeful of a better future. At UPLIFT Haiti, we have decided that if the people of Haiti have not given up on their country, we will not give up either. We hope you will join us.
Email list
Join our email list to be alerted about UPLIFT Haiti projects and plans. To join, send email to news@uplifthaiti.org and write JOIN in the subject line.
© UPLIFT Haiti