Student Profile: Raissa Jean Baptiste (architecture '22)
Raissa Jean Baptiste grew up in Cabaret, the second of three children. She is currently studying architecture at Quisqueya Uniersity.
In “normal times” Raissa brought her passion for education to her involvement in the SAKALA service project. “I tutored 9th-grade physics for the state exams; some of the students didn’t even have textbooks. I showed them new techniques to help them understand and showed them how they could learn from each other and make progress by working in groups."
Raissa's passion for giving back extends beyond her HELP activities and she has been able to keep up even with the closures of the last two years. "I conducted online activities for a women’s group that I founded called “Sauvons Lumane”. After participating in HELP’s Women’s Empowerment group, I was greatly inspired and my mentor, Chef Melissa Francois, gave me lots of ideas, so I started Sauvons Lumane as a mentorship network for young girls."
"Lumane Casimir was a Haitian musician at the beginning of the 20th century. She came to Port-au-Prince from the provinces to perform and support herself but in spite of her talent and popularity (performing at the Bicentennial, for example) she did not achieve financial success until the end of her life when it was too late to improve her circumstances; she suffered from tuberculosis and died in poverty. Although her songs are still popular and she is considered a cultural icon, we don’t reflect on her courage and her inability to live her dreams. Girls like Lumane, with talent and dreams, are born every day; are we going to let them perish like her as well?”
“I began at my old high school where I knew the students excelled in academics and the arts but there were few trainings to help them build on their talents and enhance their value. I set up program ambassadors in each grade who encourage their classmates to sign up and we have 60 girls enrolled. During the shutdown, we conducted activities over WhatsApp beginning with self-knowledge activities and personality assessments and showed them the different ways to apply leadership based on their skills and interests. We also had virtual workshops with guest speakers on entrepreneurship, personal development, fashion, and more. Going forward we are hoping to match each of the 60 students with a mentor, many of whom will be university students; so far 40 mentors have signed up.”
"HELP’s support allows me to hope for a better future. Here we are positive and motivated, and I benefited from this breeze of optimism. Whenever I start to doubt the future, a message from the HELP staff has influenced me to change my mind, and my advisor is always there to ask for news and give advice. Throughout this time, HELP has been forward-thinking and working to protect us all, organizing information sessions and giving us protective equipment. I am sure that many people are aware of COVID-19 and how to fight it through the efforts that HELP began. Its leadership and quick decision prompted many people to be more alert. Overall, I have grown to realize the value of acting in the present moment. The future is uncertain and only the actions you take now can define you. Working hard now is the only real opportunity I have.”