Honoring Haiti's Civil Servants with Pilot House
Left to right: Daniel Tillias, Mme. Edwige Petit, Sasha Kramer, Bennet Rathbun
Last night, SOIL partnered with Pilot House to host a special gathering honoring Mme. Edwige Petit, Coordinator General of DINEPA, for her tireless commitment to strengthening public services in Haiti.
The evening centered on a thoughtful conversation about how nonprofits and civil servants can work more closely together to reinforce public systems and build infrastructure that is well-aligned with local and national priorities.
As Sasha reflected in this year’s Annual Report:
“I have watched in awe as Haitian colleagues and partners braved the indignities and risks of international travel to ensure that Haiti is represented globally…We dedicate this new year to the unsung champions in Haiti—the heroines who have stayed even when they had the chance to leave, and the heroes who have continued to push forward despite being separated from their families by civil unrest and deportations.”
It was also a joy to also welcome Daniel Tillias, a longtime advocate for social and environmental justice in Haiti and a dedicated supporter of SOIL’s work.
The evening brought together a group of longtime friends and supporters from the Boston area, including Brian Concannon and other advocates for human rights in Haiti. In conversation, Mme. Petit and Sasha reflected on the evolving partnership between SOIL and DINEPA, sharing how trust and a shared commitment to public service have helped advance innovative sanitation solutions in Haiti. They also discussed the significance of signing the world’s first government-funded results-based financing contract for container-based sanitation services–what it has made possible thus far, and what possibilities it may unlock in the future.
More than a celebration, the evening was a space for us to gather, celebrate the progress that has been made, and brainstorm ways that we can keep moving forward with momentum.
Thank you to the Pilot House for hosting, and for your support not only of SOIL’s implementation work, but also of the systems change that makes this work possible.