As traditional aid models are increasingly questioned and ignored, countries in the Global South are forging a new path—one led by the people, for the people. On April 3, 2025, Kuja hosted a powerful and timely conversation titled “Community-Led Development That Works: A Spotlight on Haiti.” It featured two Haitian leaders with decades of experience in grassroots community-led development.
The conversation provided key insights into how local leadership, solidarity, mutual aid, and the circular economy can transform development in Haiti.
Watch the Full Webinar Recording on YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HKycMPeFS9c&ab_channel=KUJA
Key Takeaways
✅ Community-led development is not a buzzword—it is a proven path to resilience and autonomy.
Both speakers stressed that when communities set priorities and lead implementation, results are more sustainable and meaningful.
✅Endogenous development respects local knowledge and focuses on human dignity.
Both Jean-Patrick and L’Hérisson rejected top-down approaches that marginalize local knowledge and advocated for models that see communities as co-creators rather than beneficiaries.
✅ There is an urgent need to channel resources to local actors.
As the development aid sector continues to fragment, support for long-standing, locally rooted organizations is increasingly important. These groups already have the trust, infrastructure, and vision needed for long-term transformation.
✅ Haiti’s development model offers lessons for the entire Global South.
From biogas plants to community foundations, speakers’ work stressed that solutions already exist – what is needed now is global solidarity and investment in these models.
Speakers
Jean Patrick Lucien
With a background in Computer Engineering from Northeastern University and an MBA, Jean-Patrick has spent over 20 years as an Application Engineer at Siemens Corporation, where he applies his technical skills to solve complex global challenges.
Beyond his corporate career, Jean-Patrick plays a vital role in sustainable development initiatives in Haiti through the EDEM Foundation. His work focuses on education, economic development, and capacity building in Île-à-Vache and southern Haiti, where he owns and operates the Vacation Village Resort and the Village for Innovation, Technology, Education and Sport (VITES), contributing to local tourism and development. One of his key achievements is collaborating with the US Naval Academy to develop biodigesters—innovative systems that convert waste into methane gas for cooking and compost for agricultural use, aligning with Haiti’s sustainability and environmental goals. Currently, Jean-Patrick is leading the Safe Space Project in Haiti, which offers children access to campsites, school gardens, and safe learning environments. This project aims to nurture personal growth, safety, and education, while introducing children to sustainable practices through hands-on agricultural experiences.
L’Hérisson Hilaire
L’Hérisson Hilaire is a professional agronomist, specialist in plant production, agricultural entrepreneur. L'Hérisson joined the Fondation Communautaire Haïtienne-Espwa/The Haiti Community Foundation (FCH-Espwa) in November 2020 and is its current Executive Director. For more than four years, L’Hérisson has been deeply engaged in community philanthropy and endogenous development with FCH-Espwa in Haiti.
Impact of Funding Cuts in Benin
A conversation with community leaders and local aid professionals on the brutal impact on the sector and the need for structural change.
On March 20, 2025, Kuja hosted its first webinar on our newly launched site! Panelists Bio Yacoubou Bassirou, Moustaphaou Imorou, Djalidou Aboudou Salifou, and Kader Abdel Sabi Pate—local Benin activists and aid professionals—presented the brutal impact of the USAID funding freeze on Benin. Their firsthand insights shed light on how these cuts have affected communities.
When the Kuja team first spoke to the panelists, they were hopeful the funding stop would be temporary. However, by the time of the webinar, they had come to terms with the reality that their projects had been permanently eliminated. Like many local leaders across the Global South, they are now navigating the loss of stability and working to adjust despite the immense challenges.
The Impact on Benin
Francophone Africa is often overlooked in global aid, and Benin was already receiving limited funding—only $77 million from USAID in 2024. Additional support came from the United States African Development Fund (USADF) and the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC). The Benin panelists shared how their past projects had directly impacted nearly four million people and indirectly influenced about 65% of the population. With the sudden withdrawal of U.S. aid, the consequences have been devastating across multiple sectors, from health and infrastructure to economic development and national security.
Bio, one of the panelists, described this as a “‘cascade effect,” warning of an impending national famine and extreme poverty. For local aid workers, the crisis is compounded by the lack of a safety net and the responsibility of supporting large families. Despite these setbacks, the panelists shared how they are actively seeking alternative funding sources and exploring in-country and African-based resources to sustain their work.
At the end of the discussion, Kader captured the sentiment of many Global South leaders facing funding uncertainty:
“It is time that each African wakes up and takes care of his own… Our allies from whom we had hoped support, cut their ties with us at a time when we needed them the most… We are planning the future with the resources that we can marshal, and we will do what we need to do little by little. Africans will work together to build Africa’s future.”
Kuja’s webinar underscored the resilience of local organizations and leaders. As aid dynamics continue to shift, these voices must remain at the forefront of conversations about sustainable solutions for the Global South.
Watch the Recording:
https://youtu.be/oSIEUWmD79s?si=4MBc10iTJCq5xyNo
Speakers:
Abdel Kader Sabi Pate:
Capacity Building and Management of Infrastructure and Equipment for SMEs: “with the USADF program” expert.
Agro-economist and project manager specializing in capacity building, innovation, and agricultural project management. Born on December 4, 1990, he has expertise in areas such as agroecology, agricultural advisory services, agricultural cluster value chain management, and environmental protection. He has worked on major projects, including with UNDP, USADF, and CORAF, where he contributed to the resilience of farming communities in the face of climate change and the development of financing strategies for climate-smart agriculture in West Africa.
Aboudou Djalidou Salifou:
Countering Violent Extremism & Natural Resources Management Specialist
Expert in project management, peacebuilding, and sustainable development, with over 10 years of experience in the NGO and humanitarian sectors. He holds a PhD in Sustainable Natural Resource Management. Specializing in social cohesion, youth and women's empowerment, and sustainable ecosystem management, he has successfully led strategic initiatives to promote the resilience of vulnerable communities. His commitment has led him to design, implement, and evaluate large-scale projects funded by renowned donors such as USAID, UNDP, and the World Bank.
Imorou Moustaphaou:
Specialist in Agroecology and Biodiversity Conservation
After his basic training in Agronomy (specialty: Management of forests and protected areas), Moustaphaou benefits from more than 10 years of practical experience in forest ecology, biodiversity preservation and resilient agriculture with a focus on social standards, having held several positions, the most recent of which is that of Expert in Ecology and Biodiversity with the company GINGER SOFRECO within the framework of “Consultant Services in Program Management and Social Environmental Management” under MCC funding.
M. Bio Yacoubou Bassirou:
Founder of Maison des Tortues, a Civil Society Network for Civil Society Organizations for the protection of the environment
A leading African activist, advisor and expert in conservation, community mobilization as well as in resource and organizational development, M. Bassirou is a Founding Member of Maison des Tortues, a network of civil society organizations focused on conservation and environmental protection