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The Founder's Story
FONHARE was created to make a difference, to bring hope where despair is in full swing.
OUR HISTORY
This life-changing organization was born from Dr. Ivens LOUIUS, a Haitian physical and occupational therapist, and his wife Lic. Leslie Solage LOUIUS, also a Haitian physiotherapist.
In 2009, Dr. Ivens began traveling to northern Haiti to see patients for free twice a month, while he held meetings to educate people about the importance of rehabilitation services. At the time, people living with disabilities were rejected in society in Haiti. They had no value or purpose in a society with a survival and discriminatory mentality. They were not employable and were seen as a shameful burden and curse often left at home or abandoned, with no contact with the outside world. Attitudes towards any disability were those of ignorance and suspicion.
A Few Words About Us
FONHARE was founded with the express aim of integrating people with disabilities into society.
Dr. Ivens saw that what people with disabilities needed was both a medical approach that maximized their ability to function and advocacy that gave them a position in their society.
The 2010 earthquake exacerbated the need for rehabilitation services across the country. So, to meet the challenge in 2011, Dr. Ivens established FONHARE and quickly became a model organization providing rehabilitation services in the country and the voice of public education on disability and the rights of persons with disabilities, women and children.
In 2013, Dr. Ivens created a U.S. extension of FONHARE
U.S. extension of FONHARE with support from Cindy Cochran, Eric Fly, Dustin Mitchell, Jennifer Whitney, Vorbes Aléger and Sandra Barton; And FONHARE became a tax-exempt 501(c3) non-profit organization in the United States.
Today, FONHARE serves thousands of people
Preventing disabilities, improving functional mobility and autonomy, empowering disabled people and women, protecting children and women, building accessibility and advocating for an inclusive and accessible world through 5 areas of intervention.
5 Areas of Intervention:
Rehabilitation, Handicap Prevention and Maternal-Child Health
Disability Inclusive Disaster Risk Reduction (DIDRR)
Inclusion & Universal Accessibility
Inclusive Humanitarian Response
Protection
• In December 2017
In December 2017 FONHARE received the “ACCESSIBILITY AWARD” for his efforts in this area.
• In November 2018
in a survey conducted by the international organization NEAR, funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, FONHARE has been chosen as a “model towards localized and inclusive humanitarian action" around the world.
FONHARE has accumulated Award and Recognitions for the work done:
• Since 2014
FONHARE has become a training establishment for international universities by developing partnerships of experiences and internships in global health for the schools of physiotherapy and occupational therapy of Springfield College Massachusetts in the United States; Claude Bernard University of Lyon, France; Masso-physiotherapy training institute of Nantes, Nancy, Berk-sur-Mer in France; national school of physiotherapy of Paris; Parnasse-ISEI University in Belgium supervision is well provided by local staff.
• In July 2018
The United Nations (UN-OCHA) presented FONHARE as a “Model for inclusion” at the World Disability Summit held in London.
• In December 2018
FONHARE was invited by the United Nations (UN-OCHA) and participated at the Global Humanitarian Policy Forum in the 2018 World Summit on Humanitarian Policies held at UN Headquarters, NY --> https://www.unocha.org/2018-humanitarian-policy-forum