Although the concept of a social enterprise is still fairly new in Haiti, we have seen the rise of market-based solutions take root, nurtured by organizations like Yunus Social Business, to demonstrate that an aid culture of free and subsidized goods and services may not be the most favorable strategy for building long-term economic growth and vitality in the country.

At C2C, we agree that this type of market-based solution is often more sustainable than traditional aid. Regardless of the number of existing barriers to success, we believe that a social enterprise approach in Haiti can work (specifically in health services) and that the challenges inherent in the market are surmountable.

James Ellsmoor recently profiled ten Haitian entrepreneurs who are taking the country’s narrative into their own hands by “creating opportunity in this Caribbean island nation to uplift Haiti’s environmental, economic and social landscape.” Learn more about who these are and what they’re doing to invest their talents into rebuilding their home country: