First KOREM Payment

HELP held our Annual Reception in Haiti on June 22nd, welcoming friends old and new for a historic event, the first contribution for the KOREM program from Ginel Dorleon. Since the 2010 incoming HELP students participate in the KOREM program, pledging to contribute 15% of their income for the first nine years of their careers after graduation. KOREM is a Creole acronym, Kontribyson Regilye pou Edikasyon ka Miltiplye, which translates to “regular contributions for the multiplication of education.” Kore’m is also a Creole phrase meaning “support me.” This clever acronym is the result of a competition held to name the program and the winning entry was the brainchild of Cassandra Pierre (Education, ’18). KOREM is a way to invest the wealth and opportunity that HELP produces and to create a formal structure for alumni to actively participate in the long term success of HELP and future students.After four years at HELP and a year of internships in Haiti and New York, Ginel Dorleon (Computer Science,’14) was recently hired as a ‎Junior IT Manager at the Haiti Institute for Energy (HIE), an energy research group founded by former Energy Minister and friend of HELP Rene Jean-Jumeau. Ginel started at HIE in June and with his first paycheck he made the first KOREM payment. Ginel says, “Making this first contribution to the KOREM program is not only a first step for me but a big step to the story and the future of HELP.”Ralph Denize attended the Annual Reception on behalf of the Multilateral Investment Fund (MIF) of the Inter-American Development Bank, and joined Executive Director Conor Bohan and Country Garry Delice in receiving Ginel’s contribution. MIF has supported the introduction of KOREM for the past three years, including strengthening our career services department and alumni outreach, essential components of KOREM.About Ginel’s contribution, Garry said, “Given that this initiative is new in Haiti and the pressure was high on Ginel. While recruiting with him in Gonaives in 2014, I asked if he will keep his promise about Korem and he said in a firm tone, ‘Yes, Mr. Délice, I will keep my promise because my contribution will ensure the sustainability of a program creating change.’"