History
On August 3, 2008, I caught my first glimpse of the barren yet beautiful mountains of Haiti from a plane window. Soon I was on the ground, weaving through the vibrant, chaotic traffic of Port-au-Prince. By that afternoon, I had arrived at my new home: the Eben-Ezer Mission of Gonaives. I would spend the next year working on a pilot reforestation and biofuels project in the Gonaives area and learning firsthand about the culture, environment, economy, and politics of Haiti.
My initial travels to Haiti were funded by a Compton Mentor Fellowship, a yearlong fellowship that supports recent college graduates as they pursue self-directed projects related to the environment, human health, and peace. I have now concluded my year as a Compton Mentor Fellow, but I remain involved with environmental education, reforestation, and alternative energy in Haiti. I am also enrolled in the master’s program at the School of Public and Environmental Affairs of Indiana University.
Imaginehaitian.org is supported by many other individuals, particularly my partners in Haiti who are striving to re-imagine the future of Haiti. I hope the site will encourage you to re-think your image of Haiti and to consider how you can contribute innovation, inspiration, or investment to these activities.
Elizabeth “Lizzie” Cooke
Compton Mentor Fellow ‘08
SPEA of Indiana University, MPA/MSES ‘12