Vassar Haiti Project

Hassan Ragy ‘21: Why Haiti? We were asked this question on our very first morning by the Haitian-American musician Richard Morse and, to be honest, it was a question that I had myself often wondered about the answer to. While I had the medium of art try to understand the vitality and vibrancy of Haiti […]

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  Lila Meade: I woke up to the cacophony of roosters singing in harmony to the response of dogs protesting whatever impending danger they perceived. This started happening at 3am. I’ve forgotten that sleep is not the foremost conversation when we come Haiti – the rhythm of this country is such that sleep is overrated. […]

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Sarah Oliver is a senior at Vassar College, majoring in Anthropology and pursuing a future career in medicine. In Vassar Haiti Project, Sarah is currently serving as the President of Internal Operations and is an invaluable member of the organization. She has had the opportunity to go Chermaitre, Haiti twice, during both her freshman and […]

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Below, an update from VHP president Tamsin Chen about our organization’s most recent trip to Haiti, undertaken by Andrew and Lily Meade. “What a start to 2014! In January, Vassar Haiti Project (VHP) Co-Chair Andrew Meade, and his daughter, Lily Meade, met with our partners in Haiti to continue to strengthen our relationship with the […]

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By Samantha Basch ’16: Last week, I wrote a blog post about the joys of working on VHP’s StartSomeGood campaign. This week, some shocking news reminded me of why I have put so much effort into the project. My work has not been for the sole purpose of self-gratification; I work to ensure that VHP’s […]

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Antonia Massa, ’13 comments on the upcoming Art & Soul Reception: In the past week there’s been a little flurry of media coverage of Hurricane Sandy’s impact in refugee camps in Haiti. The situation is grim: Sandy caused over 50 deaths, damaged hundreds of thousands of Haitian homes, and left many more without food. New […]

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About two weeks ago, VHP was struck by the news of the death of one of  our school’s six-year old girl, who was infected with cholera. Below, David Bridgman-Packer ’12, head of our Medical Initiative discusses cholera far beyond a mere exposition of the disease, embedding the rise of cholera in Haiti in a larger […]

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Laura Livingston ’12, head of our Merchandise Committee reflects on the connections between art, hope and spirit of creation in Haiti, and where VHP fits in the picture. As members of VHP, we become accustomed to working with and getting to know to a variety of Haitian paintings and handicrafts. This artwork gives us a […]

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A new song by T-Vice, the popular Miami-based Haitian band, celebrates the strong  and enduring Haitian spirit. It is called “Nou Pap Lage,” which translates as “Don’t Give Up.” And here’s some good news for Haiti: G7 Nations have pledged to relieve Haiti of debt. They are also encouraging multi-lateral donors, such as the Inter-American […]

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On January 17, Sir Hilary Beckles published an excellent article in the Barbados Sunday Sun. Haiti is often depicted by the foreign media as a failed state. “Poorest country in the Western hemisphere,” is the favorite refrain. In The “Hate and the Quake,” Beckles tells another story, of a people who successfully rose above their […]

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