Meet Jennie Fleurant, Board Member
Supporting Life in Haiti Through Water

In 2016, Jennie Fleurant moved from her home in Haiti to Colorado in order to pursue a college education in the United States. In 2019, she completed an ESL certification and an Associate degree in Water Quality Management at Red Rocks Community College. Now, she is pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Science with a concentration in Water Quality and Hydraulics at Metro State University in Denver.

Jennie said the 2010 Haitian earthquake and subsequent cholera outbreak sparked her growing passion for clean water access. After observing the key role water played in health and development outcomes in Haiti, Jennie knew she wanted to learn more about this issue so she can eventually return to Haiti and make a difference. “I think water is one of the main issues in Haiti, because everything is connected to water,” Jennie said.

Jennie typically travels back home to Haiti once per year to visit family and she remains connected to her hometown through involvement in a group called Mhatrix. This group of leaders works with young people to help change the mentality around education and corruption. Jennie has previously worked with Mhatrix to facilitate a competition between local high schools to encourage students to continue pursuing an education, while rewarding competition winners with needed resources, such as laptops. 

Additionally, Jennie has already been using her education to support development projects in Haiti. On a mission to Haiti with the organization Christ in the Caribbean in 2018, Jennie helped distribute water filters to villagers in various communities near her hometown of Ouanaminthe. As a native Creole speaker, Jennie was critical to the project because she helped interpret and train villagers on how to best clean the water filters to ensure their longevity. In the summer of 2019, she returned to Haiti again to work at a summer camp run by her old high school. Jennie worked alongside other volunteers from the United States and helped supervise a group of translators throughout the summer. 

Jennie’s involvement with Locally Haiti reflects her belief that Haitian leadership is vital to improving development outcomes for Haitian people. After learning about Locally Haiti from Executive Director Wynn Walent, she immediately had a desire to get involved with the organization. “I was happy to find an organization that has the same goals as me,” Jennie said. “I wanted to be part of that.” Jennie thinks the best way for US organizations like Locally Haiti to approach their work is to support the ideas of Haitian individuals and organizations, provide them with resources they ask for, and maintain long-lasting relationships with Haitian communities. She is excited to see Locally Haiti grow, and hopes that in the future it can expand its work to partner with more communities outside of Petit Trou and across the country.

After graduating, Jennie plans to stay in Colorado to gain experience in the field of water quality management before returning to Haiti to engage in the meaningful work that is so important to her. She hopes to use her knowledge to develop her own projects, and potentially her own organization, that will help Haitians access clean water and educate children and young people on its importance.

“Haiti means home. That’s where I have most of my family and my friends. That’s where I have most of my childhood memories. It means home.”

Fun facts about Jennie: Jennie loves to play volleyball and played throughout high school! She also currently lives with a host family in Denver and enjoys cooking with them in her free time.