Long Term Partners—Then and Now
A Look Back at Some of Our Oldest Partners
August 12, 2026
In Petit-Goâve, there's a hardware store owner named Franc who can employ 17 people because the people supporting him didn't bail out when things got hard.
Amidst ongoing challenges, many foreign NGOs have chosen to scale back work in Haiti or shutter their operations entirely. But at Partners Worldwide, we know that real change sticks when the people who live there lead it. “We cannot wait for others to solve our problems,” said a Haitian leader in the PW network. “We understand our context, and we have a responsibility to lead."
Partners Worldwide has been working with local leaders in Haiti since 1999, walking alongside them as they equip entrepreneurs like Franc with everything and everyone they need to provide for their families, create jobs, and drive economies.
“It's my faith in God that keeps me going, my faith that he has a plan for us, and if he put me here, there is a role that he wants me to play,” said Cassandre Honore-Paul, Haiti Partnership Manager. “I want to help people see the potential that they have, and to see that they have their own role to play in changing the narrative about Haiti.”
Connected to these local leaders are teams of volunteers who offer advice, prayer, friendship, and support.
One of those volunteers is Dave Genzink.
How Dave Put His Business Skills to Work
“When I retired,” Dave said, “I knew what I was retiring from, but I had to figure out what I was going to retire to. The Bible talks about, for those who have been given much, much will be required. So, I knew I couldn't sit on the beach somewhere: I had to use the gifts that had been given to me.”
Dave—an engineer by trade—and his wife lived and worked in Haiti during the ’70s and had worked with Haitian refugees in Florida during the ’80s. “I thought, what can I do with Haitian Creole language and business development?”
Then he found Partners Worldwide, which gave Dave the opportunity to use his skills in service to others. For 10 years, Dave and a group of volunteers like him have worked with CEPI Empowerment, a Haitian partner of PW that helps entrepreneurs grow, create jobs, and contribute to the development of their communities.
Reflecting on what makes the work of the PW network unique—and lasting—Dave commented, “A lot of organizations that work in Haiti are providing from the States, whereas most of our work is being carried in indigenously by the Haitian business leaders themselves.”
Coming in as a volunteer from the outside, Dave highlights that his role isn’t about coming in with answers—it's about listening.There’s a principle that anchors his work: people don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care. Reconnecting year after year with the local team, he’s proven just that. “The relationships are really critical,” Dave said.
“It's such a rewarding experience to watch businesses grow and mature over time.”
Life’s a Ball
Franc runs one of these businesses, Lavi se Boul (Life’s a Ball), a hardware store and equipment rental service. When Francfirst launched his business, he lacked his own premises, instead relying on a friend to lend him space. And when he acquired his first plot of land, poor accessibility limited the growth of his business. But what he really struggled with was management.
"Managing a business is like a doctor operating on a patient,” Franc said. “The slightest oversight can be fatal." Through training provided by a local partner of Partners Worldwide, Franc strengthened his management skills, improved operational oversight, and optimized his customer service quality.
Careful growth enabled Franc to purchase a new plot of land and move his business onto a location better suited to its expansion.
Today, his company operates five goods-transport vehicles and employs 17 full-time and 5 part-time staff members. But Franc has no intention of stopping there. His next goal is to launch a concrete block production unit to meet growing market demand, increase revenue, and create more jobs in his community. And with a partner to rely on—even when the going gets tough—Franc's confident he’ll succeed.
Together Again
Recently, for the first time since 2019, leaders from across the Haiti network gathered face-to-face. Twenty-one representatives from seven Local Community Institutions (LCIs), Business Affiliates, members of the Partners Worldwide global team, and the Haiti Advisory Board came together from every corner of Haiti to explore how greater collaboration could strengthen their ability to serve entrepreneurs and communities more effectively. “It was great seeing everybody again,” said Dave.
What emerged from this gathering was a reminder that Haiti’s greatest asset is not found in a program, a project, or an external resource, but rather in the entrepreneurs, community leaders, and institutions who continue to invest in their communities, serve others, and believe that a better future is worth building.
“We have a beautiful country,” said Cassandre. “We are resilient. Better days are coming.”
