Toussaint Louverture Leadership Academy

(Hinche,Haiti)

Understanding the program

The Toussaint Louverture Leadership Academy is a Leader and Leadership Development program initiated by LEVE INTERNATIONAL in Hinche, Haiti, with the aim of developing the leadership abilities of selected local leaders who possess character, integrity, teamwork abilities, and a willingness to serve their communities. LEVE INTERNATIONAL provides these leaders with a digital infrastructure for mentorship, education, and knowledge sharing from professionals around the world. The program also offers an environment for these leaders to apply their newly acquired skills, with a focus on launching profitable business ventures, prototyping innovative ideas, transmitting knowledge to others in the community, and recruiting and training additional leaders locally and regionally to expand the cohort.

The Toussaint Louverture Leadership Academy program stands out from other leadership development programs in several ways:

  1. Focus on Natural Abilities: The program selects leaders based on their natural abilities, mindset, character, and integrity. Unlike other programs that focus on formal qualifications or experience, the Toussaint Louverture Leadership Academy program recognizes the value of innate leadership traits and focuses on developing them.

  2. Long-Term Development: The program operates on a long-term basis, recognizing that leadership development is a continuous process that requires ongoing support and resources. Participants receive resources and knowledge to help them upskill and reskill, ensuring that they remain relevant and effective leaders over time.

  3. Entrepreneurship Skills: The program focuses on developing entrepreneurship skills, recognizing that leadership and entrepreneurship go hand in hand. Leaders are taught how to identify opportunities, develop innovative solutions, and create value in their communities.

  4. Technology Integration: The program emphasizes the integration of technology into leadership and entrepreneurship. Leaders are taught how to leverage technology to solve problems, create efficiencies, and communicate effectively with their teams.

  5. Project-Based Learning: Projects are used to assess learning and plan for educational intervention. This approach ensures that leaders are actively engaged in their development and that their progress is measurable.

  6. Local Adaptation: Local leaders have the freedom to repeat the method and recruit local talent according to their needs. This approach ensures that the program is adapted to the local context and that leaders are equipped to address the unique challenges of their communities.

In summary, the Toussaint Louverture Leadership Academy program is a unique leadership development program that focuses on developing innate leadership traits, provides long-term support and resources, emphasizes entrepreneurship and technology, and is adapted to the local context. These elements make the program distinct from other leadership development programs and equip leaders to create meaningful impact in their communities.

The Toussaint Louverture Leadership Academy program has proven to be successful in Hinche, Haiti. Local leaders who have participated in the program have acquired skills that have enabled them to start and operate a profitable restaurant business, despite the chaotic situation in Haiti. The business generates enough revenue to cover salaries for both the team and employees.

The local team has been able to use the skills they learned through the program to innovate and run the business independently. They have been able to recruit, train, and supervise new employees, ensuring the success of the business. The team is also able to report financial transactions using QuickBooks, demonstrating their ability to handle financial matters effectively.

The success of the restaurant business is a testament to the effectiveness of the Toussaint Louverture Leadership Academy program. By providing participants with the necessary skills and tools to run a successful business, the program has empowered local leaders in Hinche to take control of their economic futures despite the challenging circumstances in their country. The success of the business is not only a source of pride for the team but also an inspiration to others in the community who may also be struggling to make ends meet.

Definition

Impact is defined as when an individual or a collective has achieve intellectual and economic autonomy.

Example of financial autonomy (Hinche, Haiti)

The leadership academy program is having a positive impact on a business with several segments, including a bakery, restaurant, bar, and transformation segment. The bakery produces bread for local consumption, which is distributed to local markets, restaurants, hotels, and other retailers. The restaurant prepares high-quality patties and pizza, while the bar segment buys local products to sell fruit juice, smoothies, and sugar cane juice. The transformation segment purchases local products from farmers such as peanuts and transforms them into peanut butter, as well as preparing akasan from corn.

One of the most impactful aspects of the business is its zero down credit system for local women retailers, who are able to procure bread and other products and markup their prices for a profit. This creates jobs and provides an inclusive local market, stimulating national production and the local economy.

In summary, the leadership academy program is having a positive impact on a diverse business with multiple segments, including a bakery, restaurant, bar, and transformation segment. The business is focused on purchasing local products and supporting local farmers, while also providing job opportunities and an inclusive market for local women retailers. The result is a thriving business that stimulates national production and the local economy.

We teach competencies as a need basis that will help the local team up-skills and re-skills with the objective for the team to become effective leaders, agile educators, and successful entrepreneurs.

The competencies are 

  1. Applied leadership theory and practices 
  2. Technology integration 
  3. English for the creaole speaker 
  4. Strategic project managment 
  5. Entrepreneurship

The plan is to expand the leadership academy by enabling the local team to recruit, train, and develop leaders on a wider scale, including regionally and nationally. This expansion will also allow the team to use the franchise method to scale up the restaurant business model. The local team has the necessary skills and abilities to innovate, think creatively, and operate independently. The goal of this model is to replicate a successful approach that will increase the likelihood of success on a local, regional, and national level.

In essence, the plan is to leverage the existing leadership academy and utilize the local team's expertise to replicate a proven successful model. By expanding the academy's reach, the team can develop and train leaders in new locations and apply the franchise method to scale up the restaurant business. This approach not only maximizes the potential for success but also provides opportunities for local communities to benefit from the academy's leadership training and the economic benefits of franchise businesses. Overall, the plan is to create a sustainable model that can be replicated in various locations, contributing to the growth and success of the restaurant business and the communities it serves.

The restaurant business is currently generating revenue with a gross profit margin of 55% and has hired 5 full-time employees and 3 part-time employees. They are able to cover their payroll cost with the revenue generated, but their manual process limits their ability to increase production. As of March 2023, the restaurant generates a mean daily revenue of $50 USD. The team plans to procure commercial bakery equipment by June 2023, which they project will increase their daily revenue to $200 USD, generating close to $70,000 USD a year. Their next milestone is to reach a daily revenue of $200 USD and open their first franchise by January 2024. The team has received multiple requests to reproduce their business model across Haiti.

In summary, the local business has been successful in generating revenue with their current manual process and staff, but they are limited in their ability to increase production. The team plans to invest in commercial bakery equipment to increase their revenue and profitability. Their long-term goal is to expand their business model through franchising.

To stay updated on the latest news about the restaurant business, you should follow our blogs. We also offer various volunteering opportunities, such as mentoring the team, sharing your knowledge, or making a monthly contribution.

Explore our English and Technology Course

The problem we are trying to solve

The model we want to follow

The story of the leadership academy

Relocation to Hinche

November 2019

One year after opening our first computer lab in Pernier, Port-Au-Prince, the organization had to relocate it's operation in Hinche, Haiti

Before 

After

Computer lab built

April 2019

Before the repairs 

After the repairs 

LEVE INTERNATIONAL built a digital infrastructure with solar energy, internet, computers, projection systems, cameras creating an environment suitable for learning.

Leadership Academy Courses Initiated

Virtually, in Hinche

July 2019

COVID 19 break

From 2020 to 2021

Instructions resumed

Virtually in 2022

Restaurant business launched

Programs to create businesses

July 2022

  • Currently generating a gross profit margin of 55%
  • The team are able to afford payroll expenses with the revenue collected 

Farm is built

  • Started in July 2021 
  • Completed protoype in December 2023

 

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