Secretary of State Hillary Clinton Recognizes Diaspora Liaison Katleen Felix
At the Second Annual Global Diaspora Forum held in Loy Henderson Auditorium in Washington, DC, on July 25, 2012, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton honored Fonkoze Diaspora Liaison Katleen Felix and her work with our Zafèn initiative.
“Whether it’s a profitable business venture or an innovative nonprofit, we can see just from the example of one diaspora… how you can help bring progress and prosperity to a once closed country [referencing Vietnam].
Now, this story can be and is being replicated in country after country. For instance, we have Katleen Felix here today. She helped launch a new microfinance organization [Zafèn] to connect members of the Haitian diaspora with access to capital to business and development projects on the ground in Haiti that would not qualify for traditional bank loans. So far, they’ve raised more than $1 million, created more than 760 jobs, and helped fund everything from clean water filters to halt the spread of cholera, to a new hen house in northeast Haiti that is earning income for 100 women.”
We are deeply touched to be recognized and we will continue to work in a way to involve the Haitian Diaspora in strengthening the economy of Haiti through our Zafèn projects.
