Be Like Brit (BLB)

I’ve devoted my life to my family Britney, Bernie, Richie and now my 66 children and the community in Haiti.  In addition, I oversee the BLB Operations Center in Massachusetts, the BLB Program Committee and lead all fundraising efforts. I was recognized for my work in Women’s World magazine, received honorary Degrees from UMASS Medical and Becker College and was named one of the Top 25 Women Changing the World by Cyrus Webb. I’ve always been extremely active in my community serving as President of Rutland’s PTO, Treasurer of Rutland’s Youth Baseball organization, helping to create Rutland’s Recreation Committee and serving as a member of St. Vincent DePaul. Prior to my work at BLB, I owned and operated the Grand Slam Café for more than 8 years. In addition to BLB, I now volunteer at many local organizations like Project 351, Net of Compassion, Hotel Grace and St. John’s Church.

Our mission is to continue the compassion of Britney Gengel by serving the children of Grand Goâve, Haiti through sustaining a safe, nurturing home, rooted in the virtues of Faith, Hope and Love while developing a sense of social responsibility, community involvement and unconditional love.  Our intention is that these children will grow up to be contributing members of their community, assisting in moving Haiti out of its cycle of poverty.

As we support the development of our children into future change-makers in Haiti, BLB respectfully involves local staff and community members by seeking their knowledge and perspective in guiding us towards achieving our goals.  This collaborative approach includes supporting our all-Haitian staff and our community.  This approach allows BLB to provide practical tools and working skills that improve economic stability and societal contribution to the 27,500 Grand Goâve residents and beyond.

Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. The World Bank estimates 59% of Haitians live under the national poverty line of $2.42/day. With close to 50% of children not attending school, the low literacy rate will increase which will continue to cripple a country lacking leadership and direction.

Unemployment, malnutrition, lack of clean water and medical care are all problems that exist just outside the doors of BLB. Our children came from the most dire and desperate circumstances amid the harsh, unforgiving realities of living in Haiti.  BLB hopes to institute change in Haiti from within, by providing the necessary support and education for 66 children to become influential, contributing members of society.  By addressing their needs, along with those of the surrounding community a ripple effect is created throughout the country. Upon their return, service-learning volunteers (known as “Britsionarys”) help to increase awareness to the plight of Haiti, hopefully inspiring others to get involved.  BLB is a long-term investment toward the successful future of Haiti. 

Brit’s Home is a permanent, non-adoptive home for 66-orphaned children.  In a nurturing and culturally sensitive atmosphere, the children are receiving a strong education (individualized child development programs; educational enrichment classes like technology, English, music, art, physical education), are provided play spaces and have access to an 1150 sq. ft. medical clinic inside BLB. The Haitian staff is dedicated to creating an environment where the children are loved, nurtured, and are focused on developing each child’s unique strengths and gifts.  We also have Medical Britsionarys come to BLB. In addition to checking on our children and staff, they conduct medical clinics in the community including maternal and child health clinics.  BLB believes in sustainability.  We have an 100,000-gallon cistern, solar panels, a nano-technology water system and an acre of fruits and vegetables.  BLB is the largest employer in Grand Goâve with over 100 Haitian employees. Over 1,800 volunteers (Britsionarys) have come to Brit’s Home and helped build 149 homes in the community. Most of these homes are women-led households that provide permanent shelter and safety.  When we are able, BLB provides water to nearly 1,400 people in the community annually. Clean water is a prized commodity in rural Haiti.

BLB is located atop a mountain overlooking the town of Grand Goâve. In the earthquake an estimated 90% of the city was decimated, leaving behind overwhelming poverty.  The building of BLB has brought economic development and hope, employing builders, security guards, teachers, social workers, caretakers, cooks, program directors and nurses.  The level of poverty in the area couldn’t be ignored and outreach programs addressing food, water and shelter needs in the community were immediately incorporated into daily operations.

Our 66 children arrived frightened, hungry and traumatized; each one suffering from undernourishment and disease.  As these daily needs were addressed, individual learning plans were established for each child and an active learning model was designed and is currently implemented. 

Recently 16-year-old Macson spoke to the BLB community, “thank you…especially teachers and parents who have left their homes so that they can be here to give us an education. Had it not been for Brit’s Academy, I would have lost the school year. I can actually say that all kids outside have lost a full school year. This only means that Brit’s Academy has given us a lot of advantages. Again, thank you to all the teachers, parents, administration for your sacrifice."

According to the World Bank overview, “Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, with a Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita of $756 in 2019 and a Human Development Index ranking of 169 out of 189 countries in 2019.  According to the Human Capital Index, a child born today in Haiti will be only 45% as productive as an adult if he/she enjoyed full education and health.” We view the children in Haiti as the population left behind and are focusing on providing the children and their surrounding community with resources to move beyond these statistics.

Ten years ago, on a service trip to Haiti, my daughter Britney sent me a text: "They love us so much and everyone is so happy. They love what they have and they work so hard to get nowhere, yet they are all so appreciative. I want to move here and start an orphanage myself." Three hours later, Haiti had a 7.0 earthquake, killing hundreds of thousands of people, including Britney.

A friend of Brit’s that survived the earthquake sent me an amazing photo of Britney while she was in Haiti, she was surrounded by the children she had fallen in love with; she looked so happy! When Len (Brit’s dad) and I went to make funeral arrangements, our priest looked at the photo and said, “Now that Britney is gone, who is going to take care of these children?” With Len being a builder and both of us heartbroken, we knew that we could put our grief to work. With the help of our family, community, friends and personal funds, we purchased land near the fishing village in Grand Goâve; the place Britney was to travel to the day after the earthquake, and that is where our journey began.

My broken heart, the love for my children and being able to keep my daughter’s last wish alive are my motivation. Britney went to Haiti to help the poorest of the poor and she fell in love with the people, especially the children. However, she was devastated by what she saw: hungry children walking around without clothes, tarps and towels used for shelter and poverty everywhere. This broke her heart. I was extremely fortunate to be able to speak to Brit less than 1 hour before the earthquake and I could hear the passion that she had for wanting to help Haiti. I thought I understood what she was saying to me, but I didn’t.

It wasn’t until I went to Haiti and saw what Brit saw. I now know why she fell in love with the people of Haiti because I see it every day with our staff and community-their resilience, their happiness, their faith.  This motivates, inspires, and urges me forward to want to do more. And I see it in the eyes of our 66 beautiful children. I thought I went to Haiti to help Haiti, but it is Haiti that has helped me so much more.

I’m humbled to be nominated for this prize, but it would be very misleading to tell you that I created BLB by myself.  Brit’s dad, Len, is the other driving force of BLB.  Len was a homebuilder for 30 years in Central Massachusetts building subdivisions and over 350 homes. Len knew what went into building a home and a community.  He is a planner and pays attention to detail. These are some of his strengths that enabled him to coordinate hiring 125 workers per week to build BLB.  I was involved in our community at home, worked with and listened to experts on developing solutions and new ideas to improve our project.

Prior to COVID, between Len and I, we were in Haiti on a regular basis each month overseeing the operations and spending quality time with our 66 children. When I am not in Haiti, I am in the US, fundraising, working at the Operations Center in Worcester or at the satellite office in Florida. I travel across the country, talking to students, organizations, groups, and individuals about the work we are doing in Haiti. I help organize Be Like Brit clubs at schools and religious organizations and have led numerous Britsionary groups to Haiti to build homes.

As a family, we always believed in helping our community and helping those that needed it the most. My connections with communities both in the US and in Haiti have contributed to the growth BLB has experienced these past ten years.

October 2016, Hurricane Matthew pounded Haiti as a Category 5. I watched from afar as it headed towards Brit’s Home.  The distance and helplessness I immediately felt brought back memories of Haiti when it collapsed during the 7.0 earthquake.  I remembered not being able to reach my daughter nor find any meaningful updates due to misinformation and bad intelligence.  Recalling that even though she was at a 5-star hotel, her building collapsed onto itself and her school did not provide a satellite phone.

However, this time we were prepared.  While painstaking, we did not waiver when it came to costs, time, or technology to ensure we built a structure that would withstand an earthquake.  Our building is outfitted with the same seismic standards as San Francisco.  Critical supplies like plywood to board windows and extra food and water were on hand.  Most importantly, a satellite phone enabled us to be in constant contact with our Haitian team.  

 BLB withstood the torrential rains and winds yet Grand Goâve suffered.  I championed an effort with my local Massachusetts community filling a 40 ft. container with 16 tons of supplies.  When it arrived, BLB became a welcomed resource for our neighbors.

Overcoming challenges and the ability to provide strong leadership is essential in any non-profit but is heightened in a developing country.  It was only a matter of time before COVID hit Haiti. With the healthcare infrastructure so weak, the impact would be ugly.  Our top priority was keeping the children safe, so we decided to close the BLB doors to the outside world.

I knew the children would miss more school.  Immediately we focused on expanding Brit’s Academy and arrangements were made to include all 66 children.  Between the cistern, the acre of fruit trees and vegetable plants, newly acquired chickens, food and water would not be an issue.

The biggest challenge came with making decisions regarding our staff.  In order to survive, nearly every US employee was cut along with over 50% of our Haitian staff (we continued to pay furloughed Haitian staff half their salaries, knowing that for every staff member, there were at least seven dependents relying on income for their basic needs).  As a leader, I had to stand behind these extremely difficult decisions, never forgetting that the purpose of BLB is to raise our children, continue their education and help elevate our community whenever possible.

BLB was founded because of a tragedy, but it has thrived these 10 years because of love and dedication. Len (Brit’s Dad) and I made sure that every piece of BLB was put together to honor Britney.  She saw the beauty of Haiti while at The Hotel Montana (where she stayed the one night she was in Haiti) and we wanted Brit’s Home to have that same feel, so we purchased land on the top of a hill so that when we looked out, we saw what Brit saw.  The land is in Grand Goâve, the town that Britney and her group were to travel to the day after the earthquake.

The 19,000 square foot structure represents Britney’s age of 19 when she died.  The orphanage was built with the same seismic standards as San Francisco so that no one would ever have to go through what our family went through.  The shape of the building is a “B” for Britney and is home to 33 girls and 33 boys who live there representing the 33 days we waited and prayed until her body was found in the rubble.  We wanted to make sure that Britney remained at the heart and focus of everything we are doing in Haiti.

BLB’s focus on sustainability is also unique.  The installation of solar panels, a cistern and water wells allow us to use the natural resources available to us in Haiti.  Raising chickens and growing produce also helps with sustainability. 

Haiti, often a forgotten country, has been crippled with earthquakes, hurricanes, political chaos and consequently, poverty.  BLB was created to provide a culturally sensitive, loving, non-adoptive home for 66 children with the hopes of pulling them out of poverty and giving them a brighter future.  We offer our children both inspirational and practical tools.  The children currently have two active entrepreneurial businesses underway: The Djakout Timoun Shop, a gift shop, and a project to raise and sell chickens.  These types of enrichment programs, the overall education and individual programmatic support they are receiving will open the door to career opportunities and will help them develop into responsible global citizens, ready to play a role in moving Haiti towards a more stable society.

Raising culturally sensitive children utilizes a collaborative approach with the outside community where BLB seeks guidance from local staff.  In turn, BLB seeks to address the expressed needs of the community by creating employment opportunities for over 100 staff and construction workers on a regular basis.  In addition to the consistent, fair salaries, homebuilding, water distribution and medical clinics have encouraged more Haitians to settle nearby, increasing commerce and supporting economic growth in the area.

The Britsionary program addresses the needs of the community, involving volunteer groups to work alongside local staff in home building or food distribution programs in the community, while fostering global citizenship among these participants.  Returning Britsionarys often develop a stronger connection with BLB through our annual events, child sponsorship, and social media.  This life-changing experience is then shared with friends and family upon return, increasing a global recognition for the level of assistance needed in Haiti.  For those volunteers, Haiti is never forgotten.

We currently utilize basic evaluative measures to track our progress
such as noting the number of people receiving water or attending medical
clinics, charting that the growth of our children is in the correct range,
reviewing academic grades and keeping track of the number of homes Britsionarys build, but we are in need of guidance on other methods we can use to show the progress BLB is making in Haiti.

We often hear directly from our children just how much BLB has changed their lives for the better.  From the employment and training we give our staff (child development certificate programs, English language classes) to the support we give to the community to the meaningful experiences we give our Britsionarys and the Operations Center volunteers, we are all elevated. BLB plans to continue to provide services to others.

This chart shows the number of people BLB has served since its inception, the number of additional people we hope to serve in the coming year, and the total number of people we hope to have served in 5 years.  The home building number is quantified by multiplying each home built by 7, estimating that at least 7 people will be able to live in each of the homes we construct.  Due to COVID, the numbers for some of these items will drop drastically for this year, showing a lack of progress in some areas.

                                            To Date                   1 year                    5 years

Children                                        66                         68                     94 

Staff & families                         1,100                    1,100                 1,500 

Medical (BLB children & staff)      286                       436                     586 

Medical Community (extended)    900                     1,100                 1,900 

Water Community                     1,400                     2,625                 4,900

New Homes Built                          149                       154                    256 

# of people in Homes                 1,043                    1,078                 1,792

Home Checks (maintenance)         149                       154                    256

US Volunteers                               800                    1,000                 1,600

Britsionarys                               1,800                    2,088                 3,768

Training Programs                         160                       240                    510

Community Food Distribution        500                       800                 2,300

Local Workers (special projects)    434                       464                1,115

TOTAL Impacted                       8,887                 11,307              20,577

Our goals for 2021 involve supporting our children, staff and the surrounding community of Grand Goâve as we make our way through COVID-19 and its aftermath.  We will continue to assist our children in developing into the best versions of themselves. The creation of Brit’s Academy is a developing option providing all children, grades 3-9, with continued, solid education during an unstable time.

We will focus on the financial state of BLB given the economic instability throughout the US.  We have already taken measures to ensure that we are not overarching in our operational costs, but with a new Director of Development on board, we are hopeful to update our funding model, which would have a positive impact for years to come.

Within the next five years, we will continue to provide our children with an enriching education and find ways to provide educational opportunities to children from the community, expand our medical outreach, and continue to inspire others to help fight poverty in Haiti through our Britsionary program and by developing a stronger media platform.

We will continue to promote and create economic growth in our community of Grand Goâve.  Land has been purchased at Taino Beach in preparation for the hotel that we will eventually build.  It will create jobs and tourism to the area, therefore creating a better economy for our neighbors. Finally, our 10-year goal is to build a $10 million endowment to sustain all the work and systems we have put in place in Haiti.

Operating in the framework of a developing country, the poorest in the Western hemisphere, forces us to constantly face and overcome inherent challenges including weather events, political unrest and now COVID-19, and yet we are stronger because of our 10 years of experience.

Financial Challenges: We have had to cancel Britsionary trips the last 11 months and in the near future. This unforeseen barrier has had a major impact on our operating budget. This extremely important aspect of our overall program represented nearly 25% of our operating budget in 2019. Covid-19 added significant financial stress to an already challenging situation. In addition, COVID has necessitated furloughing nearly half of our staff in Haiti as we continue to pay them 50% of their salary. Consequently, we have reduced operating costs by 33%. We have dramatically increased our efficiency without diminishing the care we provide to our 66 children, but the financial implications are dire.

Diminished momentum among volunteers: Without the Britsionary Program and with the need to close the Operation Center to volunteers in the US, the publicity and awareness has decreased.

School closures: In addition, national school closures have had an impact on our children since September 2019 and we need to ensure that their academic needs continue to be met.

Haiti remains a promising, yet fragile country, vulnerable to hurricanes and other weather events. We are confident in our ability to withstand these headwinds, but they are challenges to overcome, not if, but when they occur.

Financial Challenges: We have hired a full-time Development Director who is focused on expanding our donor base and diversifying our funding sources both for the short-term and long-term.  We will look to expand our child sponsorship program, which makes up 27% of our funding.  We have an incredible staff of volunteers who have made the commitment to devote even more of their time pursuing financial support for BLB via grants.

Diminished momentum among volunteers: We will continue to creatively connect with all our supporters, especially those that donate their time and talents.  Appreciation, constant cultivation, and engagement to our supporters will be in the forefront.

School Closures: Because our children have lost the connection to the United States resulting from our Britsionary trips being cancelled, we have instituted an enrichment program called Connect, Engage, Learn!  We have had speakers from diverse professional backgrounds speak to our children via Zoom.  Some of the speakers we had include two musicians from the Boston Symphony Orchestra, a Washington Post best-selling author and keynote speaker, an Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine at Harvard who provides medical care throughout the world and the reigning Miss Massachusetts 2020.  These speakers introduce our children to a new world of opportunities.  They instill a spirit that anything is possible with hard work, dedication, discipline, and an education.  Indeed, they elevate our children into a new worldview and more expansive thinking of what is possible in their lives.

We are truly fortunate to work with many partners at Be Like Brit.  They are committed to helping us along with their commitment to helping our community.

• Life is Good Playmakers (LIG) is one of our partners.  Many of our staff attend LIG training programs, which focuses on child trauma and optimistic attitudes.  It is led by Haitians in Haiti and gives our staff the tools that they can use when they are with our children; all who have experienced trauma before coming to BLB.  We host one of the trainings every year and invite other organizations from the community to participate and many do.

• Regis College provides medical professionals to come to BLB and host community medical clinics at least twice a year.  In addition to the clinics, they provide training for our nurses on staff.

• Health eVillages provide us with mobile technology.  They are committed to improving global health by giving health care providers the devices needed to work in remote places and be able to collect data.

• Food for the Poor (FFTP) is another organization that we partner with. Britney had traveled to Haiti with Lynn University & FFTP.  They have made a commitment to us to provide rice and beans to BLB for the rest of our lives.  Because of this relationship, FFTP now gives rice and beans to other organizations in our community of Grand Goâve.

• Becker College has offered and will provide two college scholarships for our children.

The BLB business model focuses on providing a loving home, support and education to the 66 children at Brit’s Home with a grassroots, collaborative approach. The people of Grand Goâve have been supportive and actively involved in our efforts from the time that we first looked at the site where we would later begin construction on Brit's Home.  Today, BLB is the largest employer in the area, with an average work force of 100 staff, along with additional employees for construction projects.  All but two of our employees in Haiti are from the Grand Goâve area.  We pay our employees on a regular basis, which then has a ripple effect by reinvesting in the community.

We strongly believe that in order to be respectful and effective, we must involve our community members in solving the problems we face.  We never assume to know what is best or most needed to help a family who may be struggling.  Our local staff, which includes social workers, nurses and teachers, develops the treatment plans, curriculum and policies for our children.  We have a clear appreciation for, and insistence on, a collaborative approach to problem-solving in our communities, and we know that our community and friends in Haiti are the best experts in helping us guide this along.  This is why at every level of the decision-making process, all interested parties are involved, fostering a truly community-driven response to the issues we face.

BLB is at a pivotal time in its history having just marked its 10-year anniversary - a milestone most nonprofits in Haiti do not achieve.  Funding efforts to date have been grassroots driven, supplemented with major gifts or grants from local foundations.   Service volunteers (Britsionarys) have been the lifeblood of the organization, and we plan to preserve and protect that important, engaged base.  Once they see and experience Haiti, over ⅓ of Britsionarys become long-term child sponsors and strong advocates of our mission.  

Our child sponsorship represents 30% of our revenue and it is a base of support we will continue to nurture and engage as well. Annual fundraising events (including a Gala, Golf Tournament, Boston Marathon, Falmouth Road Race, 5K Walk and Bowling Night) represent nearly 20% of our revenue.  Due to Covid-19, all have been cancelled in 2020, but we look forward to resuming when it’s safe to do so.   

 2020 is a year of intentional transition.  We made significant staffing cuts due to COVID while simultaneously investing in a full time Director of Development.  We recognize the need for strategic partnerships and are actively pursuing major grants and awards such as the Elevate Prize whose funding and associated visibility would be beneficial to our efforts. 

BLB aspires to build an endowment fund of $10 million in 10 years to sustain the work and systems in Haiti.  Presently, we are defining strategies to achieve this goal that include corporate donors, specialized grants, volunteer grants and planned giving.

As a non-profit, BLB is not a revenue generating entity.  We started by contributing our personal funds and were honored with donations from our family, friends and local community who were so moved by Britney’s story.  We have grown and have earned credibility with our continued development and progress over 10 years.  As a result, we have had small family foundations support our efforts, along with major gifts from individuals who have witnessed and shared in our journey and remain passionate contributors. Sixty percent of BLB’s funding is derived from child sponsorships and Britsionary trips.  

We do not grow by creating debt rather, we are committed to expand in a thoughtful and deliberate manner.  For example in March 2019, with the help of 100 hired Haitian workers, we completed a $360,000 five bedroom, 4,200 sq foot structure.  75% of the funds raised for this were from grassroots donations.   With the extra housing capacity, we are positioned for more Britsionary trips.  This stand-alone structure, located next to Brit’s home, provides more space for more Britsionary groups and has allowed us to free up space in the main building to construct more classrooms for Brit’s Academy.  Longer term, this expansion will help serve as interim housing for our more mature children as part of their transition plan to full adulthood.

Our annual fundraising events include Bowling, Golf, Boston Marathon, Falmouth Road Race, 5K walk and Gala.  Small local businesses have also supported our cause.

Over the next ten years we aspire to build a $10 million endowment. We will seek funding through grants, endowments, private foundations and hope to develop strategies to expand the diversity of our giving pool.  We do not grow by creating debt rather, we are committed to expand in a thoughtful and deliberate manner.  

Over time, we will undertake multi-faceted fundraising efforts to encompass:  

Additional Development/marketing personnel - $100,000 a year

Brit's Academy over 10 years - $1.2 mill

Expansion of Brit’s Academy additional - $25,000/yr

Transitional plan -  $10,000-$15,000/year

Community Feeding Program - $20,000/year

Community Water - $20,000 plus getting grants

Hotel Building -  $500,000

Hotel Employees - $400,000/year

Call Center & Technology Center - $350,000 to build

10 Employees for staffing - $120,000/year

BLB’s 2020 expenses are primarily related to the care and educational needs of the children.  Due to COVID, we have significantly cut expenses by approximately 33%, but have preserved what is required to keep the children’s care and education expenses, including teachers in Haiti, intact.  These measures have placed us in a “holding steady” mode.  With our experience and our passion, we are poised to do so much more.   We can do more!  Our vision for the children to expand Brit’s Academy to include community children, build  a hotel on our land in Taino Beach and create a local technology center to provide career opportunities for some of our children, build more homes in the community, offer more medical clinics to those in need.  We can do these things and it is contingent on our ability to infuse new funding and bring renewed attention to our operations. 

Here is a general list of our upcoming expenses for 2020 (please note that this reflects a 33% deduction across the board due to cuts made for COVID):

Operation Center Expense                   $173,595

Fundraising Expense                            $164,531

Mgmt & General Expense                     $194,787

Program Expense                                 $456,688

Total:                                                  $989,601

Receiving the Elevate Prize would afford BLB the ability to continue our progress toward our larger goals of educating our children as they grow (both inside and outside the classroom), planning how we can best prepare them for transitions ahead as they explore careers and/or higher education, and continuing to support our staff, the Grand Goâve community and beyond.

Initially we thought honoring our daughter would be limited to providing a loving, supportive home to 66 children, but I quickly learned that this goal was not finite, and the outreach and impact would only continue to grow.  As the older children start to explore careers and next steps, we are considering how to prepare them through Brit’s Academy. 

Our work in the community is also expanding as more Haitians are attracted to the possibilities of economic support and employment BLB can provide.  Offering medical services via our clinic, opening schooling up to other children in the region, planning our next move with building a call center and hotel – these are all possibilities on the horizon. With this growth, finding additional ways to reach our donor base is essential.

At this exciting turning point, we find ourselves pushing beyond our experience, ready to learn more about how we can effectively follow through on these projects to create more opportunities to make a difference in Haiti.  The expertise, resources, visibility, and financial assistance offered through the Elevate Prize would allow us to successfully address these issues.  

Mentorship/coaching - As a small, grass roots NGO born out of a tragedy, we have grown considerably over the past ten years and are poised to take further steps to address the ongoing growth of our children and the community outreach we realize we can support.  We need guidance in learning the most effective way to do this.

Monitoring/Evaluation As we search for more sustained funding, we realize the need for better benchmarks relating to our accomplishments.  We need assistance in learning how to best implement these forms of measurement.

Marketing/Media Exposure We have relied heavily on our existing donor base and volunteers to share our story, but we need a larger platform to reach more people.  We also need help in showcasing the story via multi channel media platforms to keep visibility on our efforts and progress. And, importantly enlist more support from a broader base.

• Higher Education Institutions - to help guide those of our children through preparation, the admission process and  with potential scholarship opportunities.  We need funds for tutors and testing preparatory materials. 
• Tech companies (ie. Google, Nike, Microsoft) - to partner with us in creating a call center with employment opportunities for our children and those in the community.  Through BLB, we have created a pool of skilled employees with English literacy skills.
• Hotel Corporation - to partner with us as we look to build a hotel on purchased waterfront land which would also provide economic infusion to the area and create potential jobs for our children and community members.
• Kore Timoun- partnering with us so we can expand our medical clinics for maternal and newborn care
• Planned Giving - to advise us on establishing formal programs , Donor Advised Funds and Estate Planning guidance.
• Social Entrepreneur Programs so that we can expand programs currently in place (raising chickens and running a small store).
• Partners in Health - there are synergies in our efforts.  We would like formal introductions and leverage of resources for our medical clinics and alliances on employment options for our community. 
• Guidance on effective evaluative measures for reaching our outcomes and outputs.