Thursday, 18 February 2016, Port-au-Prince

USAID Haiti announced the launching of Konbit —a five-year Cooperative Agreement— recently awarded to Papyrus S.A. and its three partners—Ayiti Nexus, Steve Kroll and Associates, and Tetra Tech under USAID’s Local Solutions program to strengthen Haitian civil society organizations and service providers.  USAID has awarded 15 Haitian groups grants to strengthen their operations and contribute to Haiti’s development in health, education, agriculture, human rights, employment, services for the disabled, protection of disadvantaged groups, and the promotion of women. These groups will receive managerial, organizational, and financial management services support through Konbit.

The Konbit Project will work with ten affiliated Haitian firms to build the institutional capacity of USAID grantees and at the same time strengthen the proficiencies of Haitian service providers or firms who can provide managerial, administrative, and organizational support services to nongovernmental and civil society groups.

The Konbit also will convene Haitian and international managerial and subject experts on a range of topics to encourage collaboration and sharing of best practices, innovations, and industry standards. Konbit’s support includes facilitating access for Haitian civil society organizations and associations to USAID solicitations and assisting them to qualify for USAID funding.

USAID Haiti Mission Director Jene Thomas noted the significant role for civil society organizations in Haiti’s development: “Sustainable progress in Haiti requires the combined efforts of the private sector, civil society, government and international partners. No one sector can do it alone. Our Local Solutions program, with the Konbit Project as a central pillar of support, extends capacity-building and technical assistance to Haitian groups who endeavor to serve and advance their society and whose mission complements our shared development goals for Haiti.”

See Also

KONBIT Project Fact Sheet [PDF, 311K]
Haiti Local Solutions Fact Sheet [PDF, 236K]
Speech by Mission Director Jene Thomas at KONBIT Project Launch [French]