Achieving economic and social stability in the face of natural disasters and other longstanding difficulties is a crucial challenge for Haiti, the poorest nation in the Western Hemisphere and one in which more than two-thirds of workers do not have formal jobs.
In 2013, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) chose RTI to lead a strategic enterprise and workforce development program for Haiti. This effort, known as Haiti Local Enterprise and Value Chain Enhancement, or Haiti LEVE, was designed to stimulate job creation by building up enterprises and strengthening value chains in three sectors:
- Agribusiness
- Apparel and textiles
- Construction.
By focusing on micro-, small-, and medium-sized enterprises in these sectors, each of which has its own opportunities and challenges, we hoped to effect long-term changes that improved the lives of Haiti’s more than 10 million citizens.