Doudly Elius

In midst 2013, unfortunately I developed a motor disability and struggled a lot to walk, to climb stairs or to do any movement that requires a lot of energy, since that time, I never stop designing community projects to empower people living with disabilities. My passion has always been to give back to the community through implementation of sustainable projects in order to empower people with disabilities that face societal discriminations and daily accessibility challenges. Despite my disability, I applied to the Legislative Fellowship Program and participated in the International Exchange Program which was the first time I ever left the island of Haiti.In 2013, upon my return from his Fellowship, I designed a community project and obtained a grant from Partners of the Americas where I delivered business training to 10 people living with disabilities in Croix-des-Bouquets, a small area not far from his hometown. I used my new skills acquired from the Fellowship Program in order to train people living with disabilities and also Senior Business Students by holding Training of Trainers sessions.In 2014, I additionally proceeded with a new community project idea where I designed and submitted another project to empower Haitian women living with disabilities. An idea to educating 40 women living with disabilities through business management, communication and Leadership and with this project idea I won the AEIF 2014 (Alumni Engagement Innovative Fund). I am the first Haitian to have won the AEIF highly global Innovative Project Competition until now..In 2015, while ending the implementation of my AEIF 2014 Project to empower 40 women living with disabilities, I founded (from my AEIF 2014 project) my organization with a French name “Autonomisation des Femmes Haitiennes à Mobilité Réduite” which means “Empower Haitian Women”. Now, I am still running this organization designing projects, recruiting Senior Business students and people living with disabilities for sustainable projects to empower the most vulnerable community in Haiti.