Together for Haiti: Group makes lasting impact for hundreds of people
By AMY ROGNLIE | Photos courtesy of TOGETHER FOR HAITI
A Haitian organization with deep ties to Central Texas is making a lasting impact on hundreds of lives — both in a struggling nation in the Caribbean and here in the U.S.
“Together for Haiti’s main contribution to Central Texas is not food, clothing or services — it is the way it helps cultivate a globally aware, compassionate and ethically engaged community here, while giving people in Central Texas a meaningful way to make a difference in Haiti,” said Danny Davis, Central Texas resident and executive director of Together for Haiti. “Together for Haiti gives Central Texas individuals, families and churches a tangible way to engage with global poverty, education and women’s empowerment.”
Together for Haiti’s story begins in Port-au-Prince, the capital city. Rising from his humble beginnings of living in a one-room home with a dirt floor, native Haitian Jean Alix Paul and his family pulled themselves out of poverty and have been on a mission ever since to help others.
He has faithfully led Together for Haiti for nearly 30 years. In that time, with the support of several U.S.-based partners, Paul has started 10 churches, four schools, two children’s homes, a human trafficking rescue home and numerous other related projects and initiatives. He has worked tirelessly to care for the needs of the Haitian people, serving hundreds of children and adults.
Together for Haiti has existed since the 1980s, initially under the name Spirit of Truth. From the beginning, TFH was built on personal relationships, not simply project plans. One of those personal relationships began when Danny and Stephanie Davis of Temple began volunteering for the organization where they built a friendship with Paul.
Over time, they realized they shared a vision for sustainable, community-driven development in Haiti. Paul hired Davis in 2016 to open a U.S.-based office to directly represent the work in Haiti in Central Texas. Davis is the executive director, whose primary role is fundraising, while his wife serves as the organization’s director of educational development.
Many supporters of TFH in Central Texas — including local churches and businesses — have developed a deeper understanding of both the challenges and the resilience of the Haitian people through their involvement. This has cultivated a spirit of global citizenship and compassionate giving in the local community, especially among families who want to teach their children about generosity.
In addition, through trips to Haiti, small fundraising events and personal stories shared in Central Texas churches and community groups, Together for Haiti helps create relationships across cultural and national boundaries. For many supporters in Central Texas, these relationships have led to deep personal transformation — a more informed worldview and a stronger sense of connectedness to the global church.
“Together for Haiti provides the Central Texas community with an example of ethical, relationship-based international development — countering the ‘savior complex’ that sometimes characterizes international aid,” Danny Davis said. “The organization’s long-standing commitment to Haitian leadership, sustainable impact and cultural humility has influenced how local supporters think about all forms of charity and missions work.”
The TFH board is particularly proud of the quality of education provided through their schools in Haiti, which is a vast improvement over what is usually available to poverty-stricken children. Under Stephanie Davis’ leadership since 2016, and in cooperation with TFH’s Haitian administration, their enrollment has increased from just under 1,400 students to more than 2,000 students across four schools in four underserved communities. In addition, the National Exam passing rates have increased from under 80% to consistently over 95% annually at the organization’s schools, all of which have been nationally recognized as one of the top performing schools in their region/department. TFH’s school lunch program also provides 400,000 free hot meals each school year.
Beyond providing education for children, TFH’s Women’s Entrepreneurship Program, Espwa Vivan, has trained 188 women entrepreneurs since 2019, helping each one launch a small business. An additional 66 women will graduate from the program in August 2025 with the ability to support themselves and their families in a difficult economy.
TFH is also invested in multiple agriculture development projects, focused on increasing both the quantity and quality of food produced.
“Through our Economic Development Initiative, we come alongside farmers, families, entrepreneurs and small-business owners to build the economy and infrastructure necessary to see Haiti become a fully self-sustainable country and a global economic participant,” Danny Davis said. “Through this network we invest in projects and training that create jobs, provide sustainable income, and promote dignity.”
Over the years, TFH’s agriculture projects have lifted thousands of families out of starvation and subsistence farming. More importantly, the projects have become self-sustaining with little to no oversight required by TFH leadership.
“Together for Haiti deeply appreciates that Central Texas supporters don’t just give money — they give themselves. Many donors take time to understand the issues, read updates, attend events, and build long-term relationships with the work,” Davis said. “The consistent, faithful giving — even through difficult seasons — has allowed TFH to provide stability for programs in Haiti, especially during times of national crisis.”
HOW TO HELP
Website: https://togetherforhaiti.org/
Facebook: Facebook.com/togetherforhaiti
Instagram: Instagram.com/together4haiti/
