Logo
May 2014
CHES NEWS
We're Back at it at it Again! We Need You Again!

Greetings from the President
It's been a while! We have had our heads down working diligently for so long that we neglected to update you! Since returning from Haiti, we've
Top row left to right: Rose (BoD), Tania BoD), Obenor (Business Liaison in Haiti) 
Middle row: CHES Haiti Volunteers 
Third Row Left to right: Clarel (Treasurer), Rebecca (President) and Amy (BoD) 
added some stellar people to the team. Our current team is pictured below along with names and titles. Together, we've instituted a number of improvements that's improving the quality and effectiveness of our services as well as our efficiency as a virtual part-time team. The changes we've made and continue to make will ensure the longevity of CHES beyond our time of servitude. Some of these changes include updating our mission statement to clearly reflect what we do.

Our mission is to educate, consult, and fund entrepreneurs in rural parts of Haiti.

In addition, we're improving some internal processes and forging new relationships. We are creating a CHES business 101 curriculum that we can use with different audience across Haiti. We are also happy to announce that we are returning to Haiti once again this summer to help Haitian women entrepreneurs in La Gonave, Haiti (read more about it below).

Thank you to those of you who have proactively reached out to me to ask me how CHES is doing, or when our next fund-raising event is or have come to one of our meetings. Your support means a lot to us and personally fuels me on. I thank those of you who have financially contributed to our work. Your contributions have gone to good use and have made differences in real lives. You are as much a part of CHES as we are!

Sincerely,   

Rebecca Obounou

P.S. While we work on getting better at sending out news letters, follow us on Like us on Facebook Facebook. We're better at that and we need WAY more likes! :-)
Our 2014 Summer Trip: Mission Educate in La Gonave

We are excited to be going to a small island off of mainland Haiti

by the name of La Gon�ve to the Matenwa learning center to work with women artisans this summer. 

 

Matenwa was founded by Chris Low, a former school teacher in the Massachusetts Cambridge Public School system. The uncanny part is that  Chris' tenure as a school teacher in a Cambridge public school overlapped with Rebecca Obounou's time as a student in that same school. Rebecca and Chris reconnected at an event last year. Chris invited CHES to work with their women artisans in La Gon�ve.  It's funny how small the world is! 

 

We are visiting fifteen women scarf-makers in La Gon�ve. They have already received start-up funding from another party and have invited us to teach them more about essential business principles and to brainstorm with them solutions to current challenges they are facing. Our mission trip team has already conducted a needs assessment.  We will tailor our training curriculum to their needs.  

 

We are looking for funds to lower the cost of travel, to help purchase session supplies, and to lower the pre-travel preparation expenses. Cash donations and air mile donations (35,000 American Airline or US Airway miles for each of our four volunteers) will go a long way in helping volunteers reduce their cost of travel. Click on the button below to donate to the trip via Paypal.      

 

undefined 

 

Support us With Your DONATION or Purchase!
Your donations and your purchases have taken us a long way! We love the loyal scarf fans and Kreyol Essence fans we've made. In fact, they've been so great, CHES will be featured on the Kreyol Essence website next month! Look out for our tweets and posts when that comes out!

 

Those that have purchased an Eneji Pwop solar-powered lamp for Haitian school children, they were well received! These are three less students who don't have to use kerosene lamps to study their school lessons. The dangers of kerosene lamps include, fires and respiratory health issues. By supporting these students, CHES' mission is also advanced. Not only is CHES' mission advanced, but the work of Eneji Pwop with entrepreneurs is bolstered as well.



Feel free to contact us between vending events if you need to purchase something, you can reach us at [email protected] or 617-299-0564

Please continue to support us by your donation. We need your help!

undefined
Let's Take you Back in Time!
We've been at this since 2008 and we thought we'd take you back over what we've done all these years. Take a look at this virtual photobook of CHES' history along with a video of Rebecca talking about why she chose to found CHES.

 

President Shares CHES Story
Rebecca Shares the CHES Story

 

We Need PEOPLE!
We have our work cut out for us here at CHES! We need a couple more dedicated and fun people to help us go further faster. We are a relaxed fun group of informal people that get stuff done (and done right) in flexible, collaborative and innovative ways. We are looking for: 
  • A secretary
  • Vice President  
CHES often needs extra hands at vending tables. We are looking for people who are willing to go on our call list for vending events. Vending events normally occur during weeknights or weekends. CHES also offers for-credit opportunities and unpaid internship opportunities for college students as well.

If you are interested in learning more about CHES, join us at our next meeting on Saturday, June 21, 2014. Please email resumes and questions to [email protected] or call 617-299-0564 if you are interested in volunteering.


See what some current and past CHES volunteers have had to say:

"I joined CHES because I was driven by the mission to empower Haitian people and to help them bring business plans to fruition.

My administrative help in CHES has helped drive the work the team does when they arrive in Haiti. My experience has been invaluable we are a small family helping to raise a village.

 

To someone who is considering getting involved: JOIN! CHES is definitely an organization that welcomes everyone's talents and creativity. If you have a vision, we want to hear it!

- Nina F., current Trip Assistant Coordinator and former Secretary

 

"I joined CHES because the mission of enabling people to lift themselves out of poverty is close to my heart.

I really enjoy working with everyone who is a part of CHES and I would say this is a fun, dynamic and innovative group"  

- Tania T., current member of Board of Directors

"

I choose CHES because as a Haitian-American, I feel as though it is my responsibility to help out my homeland and help remove the negative stigma of Haiti being a poor country. So being part of CHES and its mission, I feel I have the opportunity help remove that negative stigma by creating jobs in Haiti.  

  

The CHES experience allows me to see 1st hand the exponential amount of love and support Haiti is receiving from varies type of ethnicity and organizations. The experience also helps me to be more connected to my ancestors' homeland and helps me better understand who and what I represent as a Haitian-American.  

 

To someone who is considering getting involved: As a member of a the CHES team, I commend you for wanting to join and be part of this very challenging but rewarding mission of helping a  rebuilding a country and helping to change lives of families and individuals in Haiti."

- Clarel A., current Treasurer

 
 
"I chose to join CHES because I thought it was interesting- wanted to get more involved. It peaked my interest beginning when I started working with CHES as part of a class project, particularly once I heard it was Christian. It seemed like a real noble organization with goals.

 

My CHES experience has helped me grow in being culturally diverse, understanding and seeing different team dynamics, and gave me a valuable opportunity to work amongst other Christians- not to mention pray! It can be awesome to see how an organizations with a Christ-centered mission lead.

 

To someone who is considering getting involved: Join! It isn't a life-long  commitment :) and you can learn a lot, be a part of the team, and join in the fun.

- Jennifer V., former Events Coordinator 



Stay Connected
Like us on Facebook    Follow us on Twitter   Visit our blog   View our videos on YouTube
617.299.0564617.299.0564 - www.chesinternational.org