About Us
Welcome to Haiti Connect!
Haiti Connect, an Irish nonprofit organization was established days after the earthquake devastated portions of Haiti on January 12, 2010 which killed over 200,000 people, displaced millions and destroyed much of the infrastructure in its capital, Port-au-Prince. Restoring communications is essential to coordinating the relief efforts, as well as the effort to govern, police, educate and rebuild. The local telecommunications company report severe damages to its network, and cellular companies are struggling to expand their networks for the increase in cell usage. Haiti Connect is dedicated to work with and for the people of Haiti. Our mission is to build a Wi-Fi network to help rebuild the damaged areas in Haiti that can be used for years to come, channeling information to and from the Haitian people.
Haiti Connect is global. We are comprised of volunteers from all over the globe. The initial publicity was pushed out through various social media channels: Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn and we have received a huge wave of interest, from volunteers, telecom professionals and groups in Haiti interested in using our services. Since our initiative began, we have begun building a network of experts, RF, Wi-Fi, network, cellular, etc. As we expect the project to last months, we will be rotating teams of volunteer engineers and support staff throughout the project. We will need funding for office, living expenses, travel, security and eventually to hire one or two full time employees, as someone will need to manage the volunteers, document the network, and ensure knowledge transfer.
What started with one man with an idea, has grown into a team of engineers (RF, WiFi, network, cellular, etc.) and support staff. If you would like to volunteer, please send us your CV/resume and the date and length of your availability. If you are unable to travel to Haiti, there will be other ways you will be able to contribute.
We need YOUR SUPPORT!
There are many possibilities for partnerships. Equipment has been donated to us for the first stage of our mission, yet we are still looking for funding, as well as equipment for the later phases.
Your Donation Will:
• Expand the network, multiplying the number of people benefited by the network
• Ensure we leave a legacy for Haitians to use for years to come
• Provide a continuation of Wi-Fi services enabling the rebuilding of Port-au-Prince and the damaged areas
If you are interested in donating in-kind gifts (telecommunications/wireless equipment, camping gear, tools, generators, solar batteries/solutions, etc), please click on the Requirements page to review are needs, or you can make a financial contribution by clicking on the PayPal button at the top of this page.
