Purpose

Much has been said about the resilience of the Haitian people in the aftermath of the January 2010 Haiti earthquake. Yet as a result of the overwhelming influx of aid to Haiti, the efforts of the Haitian people to overcome the earthquake’s devastation and improve their living conditions have been largely overlooked.

Future Generations Haiti presents Wozo Ayiti, an interactive map of Haiti that documents stories of Haiti’s communities and their achievements. In Haitian culture, “Wozo,” or Reed, stands for the resilience of the Haitian people; when Haiti faces challenges, it does not break, but bends with the flexibility of a reed. Haitian music, Haitian art, Haitian culture, and now Haitian data from communities reflect this strength.

Wozo Ayiti aims to be a vital tool for both domestic and international actors. At the domestic level, it serves as a hub where Haitian change-makers can explore the actions and lessons of their their peers in other communities, allowing for community-to-community collaboration and positive synergies.

Wozo Ayiti is also relevant for international actors as it sheds light on successful community change processes, serving as a reference as to how to build upon local capacity and follow local models of change. Furthermore, for those cases that have involved outside assistance, it can serve as a guide to creating and maintaining sustainable partnerships with Haitian communities.

This new map of Haiti presents evidence of community development according to a wide variety of themes and categories, such as agriculture, health, culture, art, the environment, tourism, and gender.