Monthly Spotlight
A Time To Reflect
2017 was a remarkable year for International Women of H.O.P.E.(Healing, Opportunity, Purpose & Empowerment). As Agents of H.O.P.E, our force has made an incredible impact in the lives that we served here in the U.S. and in Haiti.
On February 22nd, we received the Notable Georgia Award from the State by the Honorable Erica R. Thomas House of Representatives for our services to the State.
On March 25th, the Atlanta City Council President, Mr.Ceasar Mitchell, bestowed a proclamation at our annual Gala declared March 25th as International Women of H.O.P.E Day in the City of Atlanta.
Our annual mission trip to Cap Haitien, Haiti was our highlight for the second quarter. IWOH’s Financial advisor, Frantz Bouget spearheaded the entrepreneurial training again this year. The training program certified 64 women this year. They also learned the fundamentals of writing a business plan, how to start and manage their business. Eight of the women were already business owners, looking to enterprise their businesses by, learning about microloan opportunities offered by local Haitian banks. The training certificates have opened many doors of success for our students. Many have secured jobs with local companies and some have taken the initiatives to start operating their own business.
During our mission trip, we had an extraordinary meeting with the First Haitian Olympic Swimmer in 2016, Miss Naomy Grand’Pierre and the officials in Cap Haitian. Naomy accompanied us on tour as we visited 12 schools. In an interview Naomy was having with a local newspaper/local television station, she shared her goal to have a group of swimmers from Haiti participate in the 2020 Olympic Games. She shared a message of Hope and courage with the young men and women. We also had an opportunity to see her giving swimming lessons with a group of young men and women on our last day of work. She truly is an amazing, fearless and trailblazing hero to many young people in Haiti. Our accomplishments on this trip is unmeasurable, we were able to not only meet the needs of our women in the community but also young women growing in those very same communities. We are forever grateful to all that contributed and invested their time, money and knowledge, to make this mission trip a success.
Faces of the boys and girls at the schools we visited remains remanent in my thoughts. I know that they will not forget our visit and will remember this passage, to move forward in their journey in life.
In October our Community Outreach took another level in order to serve the need of the community in whole Mind, Body and spirit. IWOH partnered with the Haitian American Nurses Association (HANA) and the Haitian Community of St. Lawrence, for a health fair and conference on violence and its effect on families and communities. The health fair offered a range of preventative health tests and a nutritional display healthy food options. Next year, we anticipate having more attendees, participate and engage in conversations on preventing and strategies to eliminate violence.
In December, we celebrated the members and supporters for their hard work and dedication to IWOH. We thank you and are proud that you have made International Women of Hope your organization of choice. As we prepare for 2018, we invite you to join as a member and volunteer, to contribute towards our mission in the new year. Maybe you would like to support our mission trip or one of our projects. Remember, a few hands can only do so much, but many hands can build and strengthen a community; share H.O.P.E. Give a voice to the voiceless by advocating against violence of any form. Violence, sexual assault can destroy ones life. We can all live a life free of violence if we start at home. Teach our children equality, so they may grow up to be respectful boys and girls, without sexism and chauvinistic ways.
We will live in the world where kindness, love and respect is the best practice.
Thank you again for your support and contributions
Respectfully,
Rosebrune S. Vixamar, President
International Women of H.O.P.E.
Email: womenofhope7@gmail.com
Facebook: International Women of H.O.P.E.
Website: http://www.intlwomenofhope.org/
