Month: July 2018

  • “You Will Always Be My Teacher”

    “You Will Always Be My Teacher”

    Teaching English in Haiti had never been on my life’s “to do” list, so I was still somewhat dazed to find myself seated on a small charter plane as it lifted off from the Port-au-Prince Airport and headed southwest over the Caribbean toward the small town of Jeremie. There, Tek4Kids had just opened St. Francis School of Technology and English was part of the curriculum. I had no idea what to expect, nor did the twenty-four students who faced me on that first day of class. This group of eighteen young men and six women, many of whom hardly daring to meet my eyes, had never been taught by an American before.

    Now, three years later, as I prepare to attend their graduation, we know each other well. I have seen them transformed into young professionals, and they have chosen me as the “godmother” of their class. There is an affection and loyalty between us that I have rarely experienced with students in the United States. As I end my years of teaching for Tek4Kids in Haiti, I am touched by the sincerity of the students who tell me, “Even though you are leaving, you will always be my teacher.” — Rose Yunker

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  • 2018 Haiti Tech Summit

    2018 Haiti Tech Summit

    Lindsay Anderson, Gary Boice, Michael Boice, William Philippe and I participated in the 2018 Haiti Tech Summit held June 21-23 at Cote Des Arcadin, Haiti. It was one of the most positive events I have experienced in Haiti! Christine Souffrant Ntim, founder of the Haiti Tech Summit organization, also known as the Global Startup Ecosystem (GSE), opened the conference with the declaration that “Haiti is not open for business, it is open for disruption.” Her statement set the tone for the activities of the two-day summit. The Haiti Tech Summit is part of a 13-year initiative of the GSE. The goal of the summit is to help entrepreneurs in Haiti build businesses in their communities to support the development of a sustainable economy for their country. For the purpose of this discussion, I have learned to adopt “ecosystem” as the language for the business development environment. (more…)