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| ACLAM Staff and PEER Servants Volunteers at Strategic Planning Staff Retreat |
PEER Servants Team Haiti volunteers Elie Lafortune, Barbara Crossman, and Marie Williams joined PEER Servants President, Todd Engelsen, for a January 16-20 Strategic Planning Staff retreat with the 35-member staff of ACLAM (Action Contre La Misère), PEER Servants Haitian microfinance partner. ACLAM is already serving over 5,000 clients as a sustainable MFI, but their vision is to expand much further and, in so doing, become one of the leading Christian MFIs in Haiti.
Elie took on the role of Retreat emcee and did a fantastic job. Marie presented the results of a survey PEER Servants had helped design and complete to provide insight to what ACLAM's clients really want for microfinance services. Barb and Todd provided training in establishing vision and mission and managing risk.
We were really encouraged by the time together with the ACLAM staff - the first time we had ever been with all 35 of them at the same time. We came away convinced that Haitians are the best equipped to identify and provide what Haitians needs - we can assist them in that, but we must start with their vision, not ours, and support them in their leadership role.
