A Year in Review

2023 has been a year of creative work and expanding programming. In the following pages we offer a summary of our goals and accomplishments for the year.

Thank you for your support!

Haiti

Our goal in Haiti is to diminish the extreme poverty that leads to violence and migration so that the people of Haiti can sustain themselves and live in peace and dignity.

Our theory of change has three aspects:

• Economic development initiatives that lead to sustainable jobs and income;
• Reforestation to preserve Haiti's environment and protect the soil and watershed;
• Advocacy to promote U.S. policies that support Haitian democracy and Haitian-led solutions to poverty, violence, and migration.

In 2023 we continued support for our long-term partners in Gros Morne to plant trees and sustain a local reforestation program, planting 16,000 trees in addition to maintaining the Tet Mon reforestation project. This benefited 800 families directly and over 11,000 people indirectly.

• We initiated a new program to aid families in planting more plantains for food as well as income. Our partners are projected to distribute 30,000 plantain trees by the end of this year.
• We also planned several new projects to be implemented next year, including improved veterinary care to raise the value of livestock, and a plan to process mangoes locally to diminish dependence on the export market.
• We developed new partnerships for advocacy work in Haiti, focusing on several key legislative actions to reduce the power of Haiti's gangs. We also pressed Congress and the Administration to end deportation flights to Haiti.

Our Theory of Change in Haiti

Systemic change requires meaningful participation and ownership from affected communities. Last spring, together with our partner DCCH (Développement Communautaire Chrétien Haïtien) we initiated a survey in Gouin, located in the third section of the commune (like a county) of Les Cayes, in the south. DCCH and Quixote Center wanted to understand what interventions will make a difference in the economy of the commune so that families can support themselves.

The study surveyed 134 people, 55 women and 79 men. The process included focus groups as well as interviews. The primary economic activities in Gouin are agriculture and livestock breeding. There is some small-scale commercial trading, also based primarily in agriculture and livestock, with additional trade in consumer goods brought in from the outside. The community seeks investment in all three types of activities that will improve their income and standard of living.

Quixote Center and DCCH are in the process of finalizing a three-year plan for implementing the suggestions. The plan includes collecting data on the impact of these interventions that can be shared with other organizations. We will be seeking funding for the plan in the new year.

Solidarity Travel

Our solidarity trips connect people from the United States with the migrant shelters in southern Mexico and Guatemala, and with our work in Panama. We invite participants to write a reflection about the experience, which we circulate through our blog, social media, and eblast. Trip fees include a generous donation to the shelters, helping them to continue to provide lifesaving services to migrants. And this year we launched a new program, connecting previous trip participants with expertise in U.S. border policy by Zoom to staff and migrants trying to understand their options for entering the United States. U.S. policies change rapidly and often, sowing much confusion south of the border. Knowledge is power, and these calls will empower migrants to make good decisions about their future. The calls are recorded and distributed widely.

Panama

The world is experiencing record levels of migration. Violence, poverty, and the effects of climate change cause people with limited resources to try and improve their lives elsewhere. Policies in the United States often negatively impact the ability of people to survive in their home countries, and so Quixote Center's approach to migration is: 

• Work to diminish the poverty in Haiti and elsewhere that leads to migration;
• Impact policies in the U.S. that make things worse in migrants' home countries;
• Impact the narrative about migration in the U.S. through exposing people to the migrant experience;
• Support migrants along their journey so that they find hospitality and dignity as they try to resolve their lives.

Panama is a crucial crossing point for many migrants and also one of the most dangerous. This year we strengthened our partnership with the Panama Team of the Franciscan Network on Migration through in-person meetings in Panama and El Salvador. Thanks to our support, our partners in Panama:

• Distributed more than 300 humanitarian kits and sanitary supplies to migrants in Panama;
• Made permanent the previously temporary shelter and hosted 350 migrants in particularly vulnerable situations;
• Installed racks for donated clothing;
• Carried out 3 accompaniment trips in Paso Canoas and 2 in the Darién;
• Purchased tables for and expanded the capacity of the food kitchen in Paso Canoas;
• Joined with partners in a campaign to shift public views on migrants, including advocacy and public actions.

Advocacy

Quixote Center works to influence elected officials and the administration on:

• U.S. foreign and international development policies that impact Haiti;
• The sanctions regime against Nicaragua;
• U.S. asylum policy

This year our supporters sent a total of 4619 individual advocacy messages to Members of Congress and the Administration. We also organized in-person meetings with congressional offices and collaborated with our partners to send dozens of organizational letters to Congress and the Administration. Join our email list and follow us on social media for the latest actions.

Other Notable Accomplishments

• We hosted two events, one focused on migration and one on Haiti, bringing in new people and partners.
• We traveled to Nicaragua to discern next steps for our work there after the Nicaraguan government shut down our long-term partners. We revived our partnership with Peaceworks and are currently in conversation with them about working together in Nicaragua.
• We supported several actions in support of a ceasefire in Gaza.
• We maintain our practice of sending a weekly blog and eblast offering information, reflections, and the opportunity to take action.
• We increased our activity on Facebook by over 250% and began posting on TikTok.
• We met with Congressional offices in partnership with the Defund Hate campaign, NHAEON, Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns, and Faith in Action.

Financial Report for fiscal year 2023*

*FY 2023 represents audited figures for the period July 1, 2023 to June 30, 2023. To view the Quixote Center's complete audited financial statements, please visit: https://quixote.org/about-us