OUR STORY
LOCAL ROOTS. GLOBAL HOPE.
A HAND ACROSS—NOT A HANDOUT.
Konbit Haiti was born out of years of hands-on experience in missions, outreach, development, and a desire to do things differently. We walk alongside Haitian leaders to build long-term systems of restoration and hope.
Our Story: Where it All Began…
When the devastating earthquake struck Haiti in January 2010, thousands of volunteers around the world were moved to respond—including Steph and Ryan Robinson. What began as a short-term relief effort quickly grew into something much deeper.
In those early days, Steph and Ryan saw firsthand that good intentions weren’t enough. The crisis of material poverty, broken systems, and historical exploitation demanded solutions that truly benefited Haitian people—not just temporary aid, but lasting, community-driven change.
Learning by Living
Over the next few years, the Robinsons lived in Haiti and worked with an orphanage while also building deep friendships with Haitians like Dan and Clelie Cyrius and David Sanon. As they learned the language and culture, they began asking more questions.
One Sunday, they noticed several women sitting quietly in the back of the church on the orphanage grounds. To their surprise, many of the children left their seats and went to sit with these women. When Steph and Ryan asked who they were, a staff member explained, “Those are their mothers.”
This moment reshaped everything. The Robinsons began to understand that poverty wasn’t just about money—it was about broken systems that separate families, often unintentionally fueled by charity models that create dependence, not empowerment.
A better Way Forward
Around the same time, a Haitian pastor friend asked the Robinsons to consider adopting his daughter. When they asked why, he said, “Because I can’t afford to send her to school.” Instead of adopting her, they offered a small business loan. That year, he sent her to school—and every year since.
That simple loan kept a family together.
Conversations then began around the shared table in their rented home. National friends started sharing their visions for their communities, sharing about the work they were already doing in their community. These conversations sparked a vision for something new. Collectively, the co-founders of Konbit Haiti realized this truth:
Good intentions often keep families apart and communities disempowered.
From that hard-earned realization, Konbit Haiti was born.
What We Do Today
Konbit Haiti exists to support Haitian-led, community-rooted solutions that help families thrive—together.
We provide wrap-around services that address the deeper causes of family separation, including:
Access to clean water
Economic development through small business support
Spiritual and leadership development for local leaders
Family support with education and health care
After-school programming and summer/winter camps
Vocational training
By investing in parents, local businesses, churches, and leaders, Konbit Haiti helps communities grow in resilience, dignity, and long-term hope.
We don’t just work in Haiti—we work with Haiti.
When you partner with Konbit Haiti, you become part of a community of people around the world committed to a different kind of change. One that walks with, not over. One that listens, learns, and builds—together.
Whether you give, volunteer, or simply share our story, your support helps make this work possible.