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=?x-unknown?q?27095=3A__Ashmore_=28News=29_LAMBI_FUND_OF_HA?==?x-unknown?q?ITI--_Josette_P=E9rard_--_Winner_of_21st_Cent?==?x-unknown?q?ury_Award--Detailed_announcement_=28fwd=29?=


From: Lambi Fund of Haiti <info@lambifund.org>


Women's eNews announces today its 21 Leaders for the 21st Century 2006:
women and one man who are dedicating their lives to improving the lives of
all women at home, in the workplace, in school and on the playing field.

 Out of a pool of hundreds of impressive candidates nominated during the
past several months, these 21 determined and passionate trailblazers stand
out for their extraordinary visions and commitment to working on behalf of
women. Josette Perard, Haiti Director of the Lambi Fund of Haiti, was one of
the award winners.

Josette Perard, Haiti's Center Pole

 Josette Perard
<http://www.womensenews.org/images/21Leaders/2006/Perard_Josette_21L.jpg>

Josette Perard's heart has never been anywhere but her home, Haiti. Her
great laugh and greater works, though, have affected the lives of thousands
elsewhere.

At 25 years old, faced with the daily threat of violence in Haiti, she went
to the Congo (now Zaire) to help women adjust to their new lives, finally
free of colonialism. She was given the opportunity to go because they needed
French-speaking social workers.

Six years later, she left "those troubled, but strong African women," as she
puts it, to take up residence in New York City.

She went to school and pursued accounting to support her two young boys, who
adjusted quickly to the United States. But Perard never felt like she
belonged despite 20 years of living in the city. "New York is a city where
you have to be young and grow there," she says. "I was always waiting to go
back to my Haiti."

After two decades as an accountant in New York, Perard finally got her
homecoming.

In 1987, after president Jean-Claude Duvalier fled, she returned to
still-turbulent Haiti and embarked on a lifelong dream of providing social
work in her native land. After a chaotic U.S.-installed military regime,
Jean-Bertrand Aristide was elected president in 1990. Most of his term was
usurped by a military coup d'etat (i.e. more violence), but he returned to
office in 1994, the same year that Perard co-founded the Lambi Fund of Haiti
in Port au Prince, a nonprofit created to help poor women create
economically and environmentally sustainable communities throughout Haiti.

Today the Lambi Fund of Haiti has supported over 100 projects throughout
Haiti's nine regional departments with foundational support and private
donors. In 2003, the last year for which information is available, they
raised well over $300,000 for the poverty-stricken and violence-plagued
people of Haiti.

These days, Perard spends most of her time organizing regional groups of
women to create self-sustaining agricultural and community projects.

Most recently, for example, the Lambi Fund of Haiti helped a rural community
build its own sugar cane mill, which provides jobs and income to local
workers. Before that, community members--mostly single mothers--walked miles
and paid exorbitant prices charged by a rich landowner who controlled the
other local mill. "When the situation is bad where I live and I'm concerned,
I go on location," Perard says, "and when I meet the women my spirit goes
up."

Women, Perard believes, are the heart of Haiti, especially given that
violence has left so many families fatherless. "In a voodoo temple," she
says, "there is a pole in the middle and everything goes around that pole.
The women are that pole in Haitian society."

-- By Courtney Martin.



Karen Ashmore
Executive Director
Lambi Fund of Haiti
Supporting economic justice, democracy and sustainable development in Haiti
www.lambifund.org <http://www.lambifund.org/>


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<H2><!--StartFragment --><FONT face=3DArial><FONT size=3D3>Women's eNews =
announces=20
today its 21 Leaders for the 21st Century 2006: women and one man who =
are=20
dedicating their lives to improving the lives of all women at home, in =
the=20
workplace, in school and on the playing field. </FONT></FONT></H2>
<DIV><!--StartFragment --><FONT face=3DArial>&nbsp;Out of a pool of =
hundreds of=20
impressive candidates nominated<SPAN class=3D532175623-03012006> =
</SPAN>during the=20
past several months, these 21 determined and passionate trailblazers =
stand out=20
for their extraordinary visions and commitment to working on behalf of=20
women.&nbsp;<SPAN class=3D532175623-03012006>Josette Perard, Haiti =
Director of the=20
Lambi Fund of Haiti, was one of the award winners.</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<H2><A name=3DPerard><FONT face=3DArial>Josette Perard, Haiti's Center=20
Pole</FONT></A></H2><A name=3DPerard><FONT face=3DArial><IMG =
alt=3D"Josette Perard"=20
src=3D"http://www.womensenews.org/images/21Leaders/2006/Perard_Josette_21=
L.jpg"=20
align=3Dright> </FONT></A>
<P><A name=3DPerard><FONT face=3DArial>Josette Perard's heart has never =
been=20
anywhere but her home, Haiti. Her great laugh and greater works, though, =
have=20
affected the lives of thousands elsewhere.</FONT></A></P>
<P><A name=3DPerard><FONT face=3DArial>At 25 years old, faced with the =
daily threat=20
of violence in Haiti, she went to the Congo (now Zaire) to help women =
adjust to=20
their new lives, finally free of colonialism. She was given the =
opportunity to=20
go because they needed French-speaking social workers.</FONT></A></P>
<P><A name=3DPerard><FONT face=3DArial>Six years later, she left "those =
troubled,=20
but strong African women," as she puts it, to take up residence in New =
York=20
City.</FONT></A></P>
<P><A name=3DPerard><FONT face=3DArial>She went to school and pursued =
accounting to=20
support her two young boys, who adjusted quickly to the United States. =
But=20
Perard never felt like she belonged despite 20 years of living in the =
city. "New=20
York is a city where you have to be young and grow there," she says. "I =
was=20
always waiting to go back to my Haiti."</FONT></A></P>
<P><A name=3DPerard><FONT face=3DArial>After two decades as an =
accountant in New=20
York, Perard finally got her homecoming.</FONT></A></P>
<P><A name=3DPerard><FONT face=3DArial>In 1987, after president =
Jean-Claude Duvalier=20
fled, she returned to still-turbulent Haiti and embarked on a lifelong =
dream of=20
providing social work in her native land. After a chaotic U.S.-installed =

military regime, Jean-Bertrand Aristide was elected president in 1990. =
Most of=20
his term was usurped by a military coup d'etat (i.e. more violence), but =
he=20
returned to office in 1994, the same year that Perard co-founded the =
Lambi Fund=20
of Haiti in Port au Prince, a nonprofit created to help poor women =
create=20
economically and environmentally sustainable communities throughout=20
Haiti.</FONT></A></P>
<P><A name=3DPerard><FONT face=3DArial>Today the Lambi Fund of Haiti has =
supported=20
over 100 projects throughout Haiti's nine regional departments with =
foundational=20
support and private donors. In 2003, the last year for which information =
is=20
available, they raised well over $300,000 for the poverty-stricken and=20
violence-plagued people of Haiti.</FONT></A></P>
<P><A name=3DPerard><FONT face=3DArial>These days, Perard spends most of =
her time=20
organizing regional groups of women to create self-sustaining =
agricultural and=20
community projects.</FONT></A></P>
<P><A name=3DPerard><FONT face=3DArial>Most recently, for example, the =
Lambi Fund of=20
Haiti helped a rural community build its own sugar cane mill, which =
provides=20
jobs and income to local workers. Before that, community members--mostly =
single=20
mothers--walked miles and paid exorbitant prices charged by a rich =
landowner who=20
controlled the other local mill. "When the situation is bad where I live =
and I'm=20
concerned, I go on location," Perard says, "and when I meet the women my =
spirit=20
goes up."</FONT></A></P>
<P><A name=3DPerard><FONT face=3DArial>Women, Perard believes, are the =
heart of=20
Haiti, especially given that violence has left so many families =
fatherless. "In=20
a voodoo temple," she says, "there is a pole in the middle and =
everything goes=20
around that pole. The women are that pole in Haitian society." =
<BR><BR><I>-- By=20
Courtney Martin.</I></FONT></A></P>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV></FONT></DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV align=3Dleft><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Karen Ashmore</FONT></DIV>
<DIV align=3Dleft><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Executive =
Director</FONT></DIV>
<DIV align=3Dleft><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>Lambi Fund of =
Haiti</FONT></DIV>
<DIV align=3Dleft><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2><EM>Supporting economic =
justice,=20
democracy and sustainable development in Haiti</EM></FONT></DIV>
<DIV align=3Dleft><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2><A=20
href=3D"http://www.lambifund.org/";>www.lambifund.org</A></FONT></DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV></BODY></HTML>

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