Three young leaders honored for their social impact during the 11th edition of PRIM POU CHANJMAN

Louino Robillard

History and Objectives of PRIM POU CHANJMAN

In 2014, at the heart of the renewed conflict between the “Haute” and “Lower” Cité Soleil, Louino “Robi” Robillard, co-founder of Solèy Leve, launched the Prim Solèy Leve prize. This initiative aimed to encourage and recognize promising young leaders who, despite challenges, were mobilizing to bring about positive change. The award has three main objectives:

1. Ensure that the young people honored understand that people recognize them for their actions
2. Inspire other young people to follow the path of the winners.
3. Fight the stigmatization of Cité Soleil. The stereotype of young people in Cité Soleil is that they are criminals or gangsters, that they have little to contribute to society. This award was a way to highlight young people who defy this stereotype and to highlight that young people in Cité Soleil have contributions to make not only to their neighborhoods, but to Haïti as a whole.

See as well

Selection criteria

Each year, 4 to 5 young people are selected from numerous candidates according to criteria:

- The person/organization must be actively living or working in Haiti.
- The person/organization must be a positive role model for other young people.
- The work of this person/organization must have a positive impact in the community.
- The work of this person/organization must be an example of collaboration and participation, in the spirit of konbit.
- The person/organization must receive external assistance, but the activities for which they are honored must be based primarily on local resources and assets.
- This person should not be a already “successful” leader who is well known for their work. It should be a leader that few people know about, but who does positive work that everyone should know about.
- This work must last at least two years and reflect the values ​​of peace and social change.
- The person/organization must not be actively involved in political campaigns.

The Winners for the year 2024

This year, three young people were distinguished:

Roobens Louis

- Roobens Louis, Founder of ANN KREYE

ANN KREYE is a platform dedicated to training and support for the creation and management of businesses. Their mission is to inspire and train many young people to help them launch projects with solid knowledge and effective strategies. Their vision is to contribute to the emergence of thousands of companies and startups in Haiti, with the ambitious objective of creating at least 1000 companies in 10 years.

Davidson Beaubrun

- Davidson Beaubrun, Baskètbòl Program Manager for Ankadre Lajenès

Baskètbòl pou Ankadre Lajenès (BAL) is a non-profit organization using basketball as an education and mentoring tool for Haitian youth. In addition to basketball, BAL offers educational and cultural activities aimed at fully developing the talents and abilities of young people. The program operates in the disadvantaged neighborhoods of Cité Soleil and Martissant in Port-au-Prince.

Junior Thermidor

- Junior Thermidor, Executive Director of IMPACT-E

IMPACT-E is a social organization that campaigns for the inclusion of every child and young person in the local development process, by promoting education and active citizenship. The organization specializes in supporting solidarity projects, education for all, and local and environmental development, convinced that development relies as much on human support as on infrastructure.

Prim Pou Chanjman

Recognition and support

Honorees typically receive an award plaque at a public ceremony to recognize their contributions. Although there is no cash prize, sometimes generous individuals and organizations provide practical gifts to winners (such as tools or scholarships for English classes) to help them continue and to strengthen their work. This public recognition and concrete support aims to encourage young leaders to persevere in their efforts to improve their communities.

A Lasting Impact

Louino Robillard, initiator of PPC, is delighted to see this initiative recognize more than a dozen impactful young people in their community. He hopes that this award will continue to motivate young people to get involved in improving their environment. Organizers are pleased with the success of the program and encourage other young Haitians to get involved.

With PRIM POU CHANJMAN, hope and optimism shine through the achievements of these young leaders, inspiring an entire generation to contribute positively to Haitian society.