Wilnise Meus
“August 16th, 2019. I will never forget,” beams Wilnise, recalling the day she received her HELP acceptance letter. A pensive pause follows, Gonaïves’ barking dogs and evening traffic filling the video conference line. Wilnise, in her momentary silence, seems to reflect on the long history of personal trials that preceded that sublime moment: her father’s passing when she was five; she and her three siblings surviving on their mother’s $50-dollar-a-month salary at a school cafeteria; the dark day when, returning from school, she was shot in her right arm, caught in the crossfire of a conflict between two men. She had walked the rest of the way to her home in Cité Soleil and waited for her mother to return from work. Wilnise nods and the line crackles. “Yes,” she continues, reflecting on her acceptance letter, “I was really happy to see that my dream would be realized.”
Four years on from that day, Wilnise holds a BS in Computer Science and a job in IT management. She also holds a special distinction among her peers: she is the first graduate whose studies were funded entirely by her HELP predecessors through the alumni giving program entitled “KOREM,” derived from the Créole expression “Kore’m map Kore’w,” or “Support me and I will support you.” Born in 2010, this program sees all incoming HELP students sign a contract by which they commit to contribute 10 percent of their gross income to HELP for at least 8 years on the labor market. Since the first contribution in 2015, the program has generated over $270,000 for HELP.
To Wilnise, though, this impressive number does not convey the alumni giving program’s true value: “One dollar given by a graduate is worth much more than just one dollar. It’s a concrete testimony of the solidarity within the alumni community.” Like all graduates, Wilnise was allowed a three-month grace period from her first paycheck before beginning her contributions to HELP. She is quick to set the record straight, however: “I didn’t even wait,” she explains proudly. “I wanted to start my contributions immediately.” Furthermore, Wilnise tripled her required donation amount, returning 30% of her monthly salary to HELP.
Wilnise’s contributions will enable her successors to benefit from the same HELP programs that have enabled her to graduate and thrive in her first job, as IT Manager at Lidé, a young women’s development and empowerment program in Gonaïves. She oversees Lidé’s day-to-day IT operations, including IT security and helps to build the IT curriculum and infrastructure for Lidé’s participants. “HELP played a key role in preparing me for my career,” Wilnise says. “The internships and projects put my theoretical knowledge into practice, effectively preparing me for the professional world now.” Wilnise’s preparedness is evident not only in the knowledge with which she discusses her work, but also in the glowing reviews of her colleagues. “HELP graduates do extraordinary work. One can see Wilnise’s expertise in everything she does,” says Wilnise’s supervisor Adonai Laguerre.
At the heart of Wilnise’s performance at work are a tenacious work ethic and boundless enthusiasm for her field: “I love everything about data,” she proclaims. With hallmark HELP endeavor, Wilnise has undertaken her own initiatives outside of work to advance her knowledge in computer science. In addition to her full-time job, she is pursuing a master’s degree in information technology from California-based University of the People, which she attends remotely on a merit scholarship, and she follows additional online courses through the DataCamp educational platform.
In December 2023, Wilnise returned from Gonaives to Port-au-Prince for her graduation ceremony alongside 34 of her peers. In the afterglow of the ceremony, Wilnise, donning HELP’s vibrant green cap and gown, took stock. “Before HELP, I was a little girl with only a dream, but I didn’t know how or when or where I would realize it. But now I can see that I can face anything that life throws my way.”
As Wilnise turns her attention again to the future, she imagines not only the possibilities illuminated by her HELP predecessors through their alumni contributions, but now too, the opportunities she can illuminate for the next generation of HELP students: “The alumni giving program is a beacon of light. It creates a chain of mutual support and success where each supported student becomes a source of inspiration and encouragement. My gratitude to this community is infinite. I will strive to perpetuate its spirit in my career and beyond.”