Latest / We Are For Good Podcast - The Podcast for Nonprofits / 304. Ask Before you Aid: The Danger of Compassion + Creating Sustainable Development - Dr. Bertrhude Albert

Transcript

304. Ask Before you Aid: The Danger of Compassion + Creating Sustainable Development - Dr. Bertrhude Albert · We Are For Good Podcast - The Podcast for Nonprofits

• 0:01
  Jonathan McCoy: Technology alone can't solve the challenges nonprofits face. And that's why neon one provides software that empowers you to manage constituents all while giving you the resources and support you need to connect to what matters most your people and their passions. Learn more about how Neon One is helping nonprofits create stronger connections by visiting neonone.com/weareforgood.
• 0:24
  Jonathan McCoy: Hey, I'm Jon.
• 0:26
  Becky Endicott: And I'm Becky.
• 0:27
  Jonathan McCoy: And this is the We Are For Good podcast.
• 0:29
  Becky Endicott: Nonprofits are faced with more challenges to accomplish their missions and the growing pressure to do more, raise more and be more for the causes that improve our world.
• 0:38
  Jonathan McCoy: We're here to learn with you from some of the best in the industry, bringing the most innovative ideas, inspirational stories, all to create an impact uprising.
• 0:47
  Becky Endicott: So welcome to the good community. We're nonprofit professionals, philanthropists, world changers and rabid fans who are striving to bring a little more goodness into the world.
• 0:58
  Jonathan McCoy: So let's get started. Becky, Dr. B's in the house.
• 1:02
  Becky Endicott: Oh my gosh, when we get to talk about Haiti, it lights us up on the podcast. I am super stoked today.
• 1:10
  Jonathan McCoy: I mean, y'all, you know, we talk about community is everything. And we believe that, we feel it in our bones. And today's conversation is just the overflow of community. And you know, we had met a really cool guy named Cameron Outlaw, in that We Are For Good community. He's now at A Child’s Hope Foundation. But he worked with Dr. B on you know, at her organization, and he reached out, he's like, Jon, if there's one person you have to talk to, you have to meet Dr.
• 1:34
  Jonathan McCoy: B, you gotta meet B. And I'll tell you what the overflow is spending time with her. I was like, there's so much there of just her heart, the way she postures. She's really she's built her organization and just the way she shows up in the world. I'm so delighted to share this conversation today. So it's my sincere honor to introduce Dr. Bertrhude Albert to you.
• 1:52
  Jonathan McCoy: She's the CEO and founder of P4H Global, you know, she is a Haitian born American. And she immigrated at the age of eight to the U.S. with her family. And during this time, she became a Triple Threat Gator. I mean, look at this, she's got her BA in English. And then she has an MA in Latin American Studies.
• 2:10
  Jonathan McCoy: And then she completed her PhD in agricultural education and communication. She's like a triple threat. And Dr. B, released this incredible TED Talk. And you have to go back and listen to this. And we're going to thread a lot of what she talked about in that. But she tells about her story of how she really learned the power of compassion when it's channeled in the wrong way. And even though the heart can be right in the right trajectory, we really have to rethink how we're doing charity. And you know, the way she showed up and that really talked about how they built this organization in Haiti today. And they're training and equipping teachers, they're reimagining how you empower people on the frontlines, amazing heroes on the frontlines in Haiti. And they're just all about empowerment. And so there's the conversation is going to be big and heartfelt, and hopefully challenging to all of us. And so it's just a huge delight to have you in the house, B. Welcome.
• 2:57
  Dr. Bertrhude Albert: Oh, my goodness, Jon, and Becky, thank you for having me. I am the minute I knew that today was going to be the day that that we would have this conversation. I was I've been looking forward to this day. So I'm so thankful.
• 3:11
  Dr. Bertrhude Albert: I'm thankful that you all listeners within the We Are For Good community are taking the time to hear my story and hear my words. Thank you so much.
• 3:21
  Jonathan McCoy: You know, I did not want to give away much of your story, because I think it's so captivating. And you know, we talk a lot about the power of lived experience. And I think your story really translates so deeply in this. So would you kind of take us back to growing up, and being an immigrant but also having this heart for where you were born, and then just kind of catch us up to where you are today.
• 3:39
  Dr. Bertrhude Albert: Certainly, thanks for that question. So as you all know, I was born in Haiti, specifically Cap-Haïtien, actually, in my mom's bed, my mom gave birth to me in bed. And when I was a baby, my parents ended up immigrating to the United States specifically for educational reasons. They wanted to give me great opportunity. My parents loved Haiti, but at the same time, they wanted to set me and my five brothers and sisters up for the best success. Uh, yeah, Haitians know how to make babies. I can tell you, my dad's one of like, 15, my mom's want to 16 so they definitely carried on the family legacy there. We came to the United States and I ended up really excelling in, in school. Same thing with my brothers and sisters. Went to the University of Florida was a professional student for 10 years just really dug deep in education. But while I was at the University of Florida in my first years, I heard about the earthquake that struck Haiti.
• 4:45
  Dr. Bertrhude Albert: And it had been 12 years since I had gone back to Haiti. I knew in my heart I knew in my spirit, my soul, like I had to go back to the land that birthed me. I had to go back and see for myself What was going on in my country? And when I flew back to Haiti for the first time, man, Becky, Jon, my entire life completely, radically changed when I met the Haitian people.
• 5:11
  Dr. Bertrhude Albert: You know, some people were like, Oh, be you're gonna cry a lot.
• 5:15
  Dr. Bertrhude Albert: It's so, so much despair, so much sadness, so much destruction. And yes, there was an earthquake that completely rocked the entire nation, and the nation was trying to get back on its feet. But the strength that I saw, inspired me so deeply the the peace that I saw, despite the circumstances, inspired me deeply. And as I'm meeting people, I was blown away at how strong these people are.
• 5:44
  Dr. Bertrhude Albert: And I think that what brought me to a deeper level is that I saw myself in them, I realize that man for 12 years I've been away, but the Haitian people are me, like, my freedom is bound together with theirs and and so in that week of being back to Haiti, for the first time, I made a commitment that I am going to walk through life with my people, the rest of my life is going to be dedicated to being alongside of of these people, not just because yes, we have an objective of ending poverty. But because I am deeply inspired, deeply moved deeply connected to these people that the world so often overlooks. So I mean, I could take a pause there. But that was the beginning of me changing my major, changing my entire life to really be focused on the Haitian people. And seeing Haiti rise.
• 6:40
  Becky Endicott: I'm going to walk through this life beside my people like is that the way to set the tone for this conversation. And, you know, I just, we often host people on the podcast to talk about this proverbial fork in the road, that they experience in life where they could go this this easy route, this very natural route that's comfortable, that's known, but the heart like pulls them down, you know, this other path. And I am seeing how much joy in life it has given you to walk down this other path. And I'm also just thinking, How brave your parents are to completely uproot their life in the pursuit of education. And here you are with a PhD, and how you went full tilt into education, and how you're making that totally full circle going back to invest what you've learned in your people. So I'm hanging on to every single word and I cannot wait to hear how you channeled this. So I would love for you to kind of just pick up that story there and talk about what happens when you woke up and just felt this kinship and this spirit of like, I'm going to connect my life to this mission because we want to hear about P4H Global you founded this nonprofit it was formally named Projects for Haiti, while you were still in undergrad with your fellow PhD queen, Dr. Priscilla Zelaya, who was also a fellow University of Florida student. I want to make the connection for us. How did you see this need? And how did you come and say, I think I have something to give in this area and how this nonprofit was born.
• 8:34
  Dr. Bertrhude Albert: Thank you for that, Becky, you. You have a way of taking stories and then just like making it so beautiful. I love the summary.
• 8:42
  Becky Endicott: That's your story, girl, I'm so proud of you.
• 8:47
  Dr. Bertrhude Albert: Picking back up to where we were. I experienced Haiti for the first time, I came back to the United States and I started to talk to my roommate then she's also my roommate now. Priscilla, and I told her, Pris, I feel deeply connected to my people. I want to give my life to this, what can we do? And we started to talk. And that was the beginning. That was the genesis of P4H Global. Now, our story is a very interesting one in that we actually begin the organization off on the wrong foot. What do I mean by that? We initially thought okay, the way that we help Haiti, the way that we stand with Haiti become an ally is to do what so many organizations do let's collect food, shoes, clothes, we ended up collecting over 400 pounds of supplies for the Haitian people.
• 9:39
  Dr. Bertrhude Albert: And we brought that support, those supplies to Haiti with 19 volunteers from the University of Florida. And we spent a week passing things out left and right. I always say that I felt like a younger blacker broker, Oprah Winfrey. I was like you get a shirt. Becky, Jon, I felt do there's like the givers high, and I felt that givers high. But at the end of the week, we sat down with community leaders. And we asked them, What did you think about the work that we did? We are expecting to get some great feedback. Pris and I are, are big on getting feedback and having that that iterative feedback loop. But when we sat down with them, they blew our minds by telling us, they appreciated the effort. They appreciated the love. But we hurt the community more than we helped the community. And we were blown away at the possibility that we, people with good intentions that spent months collecting over 400 pounds of supplies, we gave our week, our spring break up to work with the Haitian people.
• 10:44
  Dr. Bertrhude Albert: And yet, we're hurting the people that we're trying to help. And at first, there was a little bit of tension in my heart trying to really understand this. I said, please help me understand because I don't fully grasp, I can't fully grasp. They introduced us to people that sold clothes. And for the upcoming weeks, because we flooded the community with clothes, they won't be able to sell people that sold shoes. And because we flooded the community with free shoes, who can compete with free, we were blown away to actually see the negative impact of our work. And so we knew we had to change things we knew that this organization couldn't be focused on, on on trying to give handouts putting a BandAid on a bullet wound, but really getting deep into the deep rooted struggles that the people the Haitian people had and trying to, to help alleviate some of the pain that they're thick that they're facing. And so we came back to the United States, we started doing research. And let me tell you, Jon, Becky, we were blown away to see that academically, people were supporting what the Haitian people had said, we read More Than Good Intentions, Toxic Charity, When Helping Hurts, Dead Aid, all of these books over and over and over and over again, we're seeing the same thing that our Haitian partners were saying. And we knew we had to make a shift with the organization. And so there we see that the organization shifted from us just giving clothes and food and shoes, giving supplies, giving handouts, to education, which is at the heart of what the Haitian people want is to be empowered, is to be in control of their own destiny. And the way that you do that is by empowering through education, giving them knowledge, understanding, skills, experience, so that one day, they are not dependent on handouts, they're not dependent on the aid that the outside world can give.
• 12:43
  Jonathan McCoy: Okay, be I mean, whoa, is the only way to react.
• 12:46
  Jonathan McCoy: But thank you for just your vulnerability and taking us back. Because I think that that story, I hope, if you're listening, like if you haven't dove into this and wrestled with this, it is a hard concept.
• 12:56
  Jonathan McCoy: Because no one's talking about off intentions here. The intentions were so right, the enthusiasm was real. But the way it went about just didn't ultimately serve and uplift the community. And I'm glad we're talking about community today.
• 13:10
  Jonathan McCoy: Because you all talk about this in your TED talk. I know it's threaded in your work. But just this idea of asking before you aid and like how does, how does that conversation? Those are your words, you're gonna take the credit. That's not a quote for me. That's a quote from y'all. But I think that's so powerful. And so you kind of walk us through that, how it's reinforcing the values of how P4H is organized now, because we love talking about values. And what you're talking about is going under the currents, not attacking the top level of the problem you see, but going in trying to help systemically what are the values that drive y'all today in your work?
• 14:19
  Unknown: Oh, so good. I love that question, Jon, the four values of p for rage, they really surround these four words that start with a P people, poverty, partnership, and professionalism. And so, as we dig deeper into those things, you'll see that everything we do, it really surrounds people.
• 14:43
  Unknown: We are a people centered organization, and we're gonna get to the idea of asking before you aid, but specifically everything we do, we're always asking ourselves, How is this uplifting people? How is this affirming their dignity? How does this really focus on the Haitian people more than it focuses on our good intentions, more than it focuses on our desire to help? How do we focus absolutely everything we do everything. We're about everything we're investing in, on the people of Haiti. And so yes, we're working within the context of economic poverty. But even when you look at economic poverty, one of the biggest values that we have is that the solution to poverty lies within local communities. The solution to poverty is not going to be the outside world. Coming with money and infrastructure, the solution to poverty are the people. And why is that even if I build a, if I even if I construct a building tomorrow, the minute I leave, if the people aren't empowered to maintain that building, to take it to the next level, it is worth, it's worthless. It doesn't, it's not worth anything if the people aren't invested, and they don't have the power to maintain and sustain long term positive change. So yes, we're working within the context of poverty, but the people are the solution. And how do you do that through partnerships, recognizing that it's got to be mutually benefiting, there isn't this idea where I'm coming in with the money with the knowledge with the experience, and so my views are higher than yours. No way. In fact, this is your community. And so if anyone is working within the context of a vulnerable community, one of the prerequisites I would say, to partnering with a vulnerable community is realizing that they know more about community than you could ever, they are the solution more than you would ever be. And so if you're helping, even if you're coming in with a PhD, or whatever letters, you want to put behind your name, realizing that you've got to ask them before you intervene with your expertise, because at the end of the day, they have the PhD in their community, and you don't. And so that really wraps around this idea of asking before you aid because you will hurt you will damage you will undermine you will become the the Savior, the false savior of the community, if you don't focus on the people more than on your expertise, or your good intentions, or your your heart. And then the last P professionalism. Everything that we're doing, we ensure that there's this high level of accountability, transparency, honoring the people that we work with all the not all of the people all of the Ps of our values, they surround, they can be summarized with the one word people, valuing the people.
• 17:42
  Becky Endicott: I mean, no one can see me but I'm like Arsenio Hall fist pumping in the air.
• 17:46
  Becky Endicott: Here's the thing I noticed about what you're saying like it is, this whole conversation is steeped in humility. And if you can use that as a starting point for going into mission work, it's going to set the right tone for partnerships. And I, I 100%, agree with you that the answers to healing communities lies in the community already, we just need to understand how we can take what we know, with what the community knows, how do we co build it together? And how do we come in with a heart of compassion and partnership to do that, and the fact that it's baked in your values is just like we're rooting over there, because we think that's where everything starts. But I want to double click on this compassion piece, because your TED Talk, talks about how compassion can be one of the most dangerous emotions. And I gotta tell you, like my little Enneagram 2, Empath heart is like, wired right now and leaving in like, I want to make sure I don't go in with good intentions that I am not aware of wrapped in my white saviorism, or in my ability to want to be the hero. And so I want you to talk about how can compassion undermine the dignity in the impact of others, like, talk to us about some of the examples and the things that you've seen in your work?
• 19:15
  Dr. Bertrhude Albert: Certainly, Becky, I would love to do that.
• 19:18
  Dr. Bertrhude Albert: And so even before I begin, I want to talk about this idea of the savior complex or the white savior complex, because that's going to help usher us into this really a critical discussion.
• 19:31
  Dr. Bertrhude Albert: And so some people say, okay, B, I get what you're saying. So are you talking, are you telling me helping people, that's not good in that's not what we're saying at all. Because helping people is virtuous, it's needed.
• 19:41
  Dr. Bertrhude Albert: That's, that's what what pushes the world forward, I believe.
• 19:45
  Dr. Bertrhude Albert: But the issue comes when your good intentions, your desire to help, it becomes the star of the show more than the actual needs of the community, what the community actually needs to have long term sustained change, when it becomes more about you and what you want, and how you feel than the actual change the positive change in the community. That's when there's a savior complex. And so let's go ahead and jump right into this discussion of how compassion is needed in life. But it can also be dangerous. It's dangerous because compassion, that's that thing that fills your heart when you see a disaster and you want to rush in, save the day you want to, to pull people out of the situation that they're in.
• 20:37
  Dr. Bertrhude Albert: And there are some contexts where we need to act fast like when when the earthquake hit Haiti, we needed to act fast because lives depended on it.
• 20:46
  Dr. Bertrhude Albert: And we can't just sit there and say, okay, how do we help sustainably develop? No, people's lives depend on us being able to act, of course, you're still asking, and you're not imposing. But you still need to act fast. But the issue is, when you look around the world, a lot of people look at the problems, deep rooted problems, like economic poverty, disparities, educational inequalities, and they treat these deep rooted long term problems, as if it's a quick fix as if it's a relief. The world oftentimes doesn't need relief, these quick fixes, we need long term development. And when we confuse the two, then you have people looking at poverty and Haiti, economic poverty and saying let me rush in. And let me save the day with clothes and food and shoes, because that's what he means, when in reality, Haiti is in need of these handouts. Haiti is in need of long term deep, long term investments. And so when we go back to this idea of compassion, compassion is the feeling that makes you want to rush in and if you don't put your compassion in check, if you don't check yourself continuously reflect on your actions, you can easily hurt the people you're trying to help. And how do you check yourself? Ask before you aid.
• 22:04
  Dr. Bertrhude Albert: Don't just rush in and think Oh, my goodness, Haitian people don't have the clothes that I have. Let me do a drive and give them the clothes that that that they need. They need brand new Nikes not not not what they're wearing. So ask before your your aid that is probably the biggest thing that you can help do to help check your compassion. The second thing that you can do to really check your compassion is evaluate the impact, evaluate the short term and the long term impact of your actions in the country. One thing that I really asked myself over and over again is okay, if I were to leave tomorrow, is the community better off than then when they first begin? Or are they dependent on me? And if they are dependent on me? What plan do I have so that in a year, in two years, they don't have the dependence that they have right now on me? I hope that that makes sense. I'll pause right there.
• 23:03
  Jonathan McCoy: Hey, friends, taking a pause from this feel good conversation to share a quick story. A Hope & A Future is a nonprofit that serves children in the Arizona foster care system. Last year, they wanted to grow donations during GivingTuesday. The only problem GivingTuesday was only one day away. Determined to seize the opportunity, they reached out to our friends at Feathr with help from Feathr's services, A Hope & A Future managed to launch a complete advertising campaign just in time. As a direct result, they raised more than$500 on GivingTuesday. But that was just the beginning. A Hope & A Future decided to follow up with an additional retargeting campaigns designed to increase donations and reengage previous donors. They raised over $32,000 with just a $4,000 ad spend.
• 23:47
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• 24:04
  Jonathan McCoy: I mean, did it make sense? I think it's the antidote to everything. Yeah. And I think you're leading into like, just this idea of sustainability and legacy. And, and I think about your first trip to Haiti, and like you, you described it, because honestly, I felt that way. The first time I went to Thailand, I just felt this like kinship with the people. I love the people, I just, I saw them at their brightest spot, you know, and I think that's what's so beautiful hearing your story reflected back is that I feel like you've always seen the empowerment and the hope in their eyes and the healing. And so the fact that you're now championing that the solution is not outside, it's actually right there. And that's how you've oriented your work with teachers. And something that I want to lead you into to share with us because I think what you've done so powerful, is that we believe in the power of education, it's kind of why We Are For Good exists this whole idea of growth mindset and pouring into ourselves as people. And you're doing that on the frontlines using the heroes in Haiti to be the teachers that create sustainability and you know, and lift up communities.
• 25:10
  Jonathan McCoy: So talk about that model and talk about, share a story of somebody that you've met, that has just come alive as they get to be on the platform and teach their own people.
• 25:21
  Dr. Bertrhude Albert: Oh, love this question. We realize in our in our journey of understanding the true needs of the Haitian I'm shocked.
• 25:27
  Dr. Bertrhude Albert: people that the key is education. I remember We're talking with Ference, who is still part of P4H, 10 years ago, and he said, you know what's going on? B, it's as if the world has good intentions, America has good intentions, and they're coming to Haiti. And let's say Haiti is a car that won't start. He said, it says, if people with good intentions are looking at the car, and they say, I know you need, you need a new paint job. And so they're giving us this beautiful paint job, this really great new coat.
• 25:55
  Dr. Bertrhude Albert: When the reality is, we need you to roll up your sleeves, lift up the hood, and find the root of the problem, which is the engine that won't start for us, our engine is education. He said, B get this, we've got an educational system, where 60% of students drop out of school before they finish elementary school. I was like, I did not know this. And that's why you see the rate of Haitians being illiterate. It's really, really high. Because most of us are I mean, I'm shocked these stats together, just because I think dropping out of school before we finish the sixth grade. I was like, Oh, my goodness, he said B let's go even deeper. I'm like, Please, let's go deeper. I want this. Let's get to the root of what you think the problem is.
• 26:35
  Dr. Bertrhude Albert: Because there are some issues.
• 26:39
  Dr. Bertrhude Albert: There are some struggles, some beautiful parts of it. But there are some struggles. What do you think the route is? He's like, okay, students are dropping out.
• 26:47
  Dr. Bertrhude Albert: But why are students dropping out? He said, of course, there's an economic problem. But it's not just fully economic, because we've got a 98% enrollment rate when they're young, students are dropping out when they're taking national exams. And we're like, okay, let's, let's get dig deeper. What does that mean? He said B, we've got 80% of teachers in Haiti that aren't trained. Eight out of 10, teachers in Haiti have not gone through normal school, which is Teacher Training School, they haven't been adequately, adequately trained. There are people that would love students or loved education or just given a job. And then they take the job and they're in the classroom. Can you imagine today, where you would be if 80% of your teachers were not qualified to be in the job that they're in? And I was so blown away at that. And I'm like, if you're driving, or you're washing dishes, which is when I listen to podcasts, I mean, think about this, that you're saying 60% of kids drop out by sixth grade of school, and then you have 80% of teachers that don't have the training to be able to teach
• 27:59
  Becky Endicott: and 98% want to be there at the onset, I feel like to your example, about the car, it's like somebody came in and said, If we had more crayons, they would want to come to school. And it's like, that is not the problem. That is not the aid we need.
• 28:17
  Dr. Bertrhude Albert: Oh, my gosh.
• 28:17
  Becky Endicott: So talk to us about this.
• 28:19
  Dr. Bertrhude Albert: Yes. Oh, you are you are going to be so excited. And you know what's so interesting what's happening in Haiti, P4H, we've had the privilege just in the past two years, and we'll get to why we're seeing so much success.
• 28:32
  Dr. Bertrhude Albert: Just in the past two years, we've had some major organizations approach P4H, like the Inter-American Development Bank, Food for the Poor, World Vision, some all multibillion dollar organizations that have said, okay, in the past, we have built hundreds of schools across the nation of Haiti. And we are seeing that the issue isn't access isn't buildings. The issue is the people that are in the building, we need to build up the capacity of the people, and not just the people. And so we've just in the past two years, have had huge, significant contracts with these mega dogs, big dogs within Haiti have said, we've built buildings, but we're still having a lot of big issues with quality. It's not just access, access is important. But teachers want to be there, students want to be there.
• 29:22
  Dr. Bertrhude Albert: Access is there. The quality, that's where we're falling short, and P4H I'm really glad that 10 years ago, we started on this journey of quality, not just coming with supplies, not just coming with what we can build, but helping to build up the people helping to build up the real school institution, which are the teachers, the principals, the parents, which ultimately will impact the students.
• 29:48
  Jonathan McCoy: We came out of a series at the end of last season, we called the Impact Arc. And it was this you know, it's what Becky and I learned in our 15 plus years of being on the inside of building movements and raising more money. And it's like it has to start with asking a bigger, better question of what you're really trying to do.
• 30:03
  Jonathan McCoy: Because we can all Chase tactics in everything in life and in anything that we want to do we can just chase a tactic and say build another building. When school can happen under a tree if you have the people you know if you have the actual right question that I'm trying to change the generation, I'm trying to educate, and trying to uplift like that's the better question not what type of bricks does the building need to be right and I love design. I love getting into the tactics but
• 30:30
  Becky Endicott: I'm proud of you for saying this about design and letting it go, Jon. Good for you.
• 30:35
  Jonathan McCoy: In the presence all these witnesses.
• 30:40
  Dr. Bertrhude Albert: You're so right, Jon, because in we say all the time, of course, that doesn't mean that we're neglecting. I want nice buildings and and when I go to schools that don't have like the best roofs and don't have the best supplies, that still does tug at my heart, my heartstrings, and I'm like, I want the best for the students.
• 30:58
  Dr. Bertrhude Albert: But at the end of the day, research is very clear, the thing that has the biggest impact on students success is teacher efficacy. It's not the color of the building, it's not the size of the building, which it really is important still, the environment is important.
• 31:12
  Dr. Bertrhude Albert: But the biggest impact is how effective the student is.
• 31:17
  Dr. Bertrhude Albert: Because if the teacher is because if I have a teacher that can see me where I am, and help bring me to where I need to be, they can help override some of these other really big issues that we see within Haiti's educational system.
• 31:34
  Becky Endicott: Okay, I need to ask a super inappropriate question. But I can ask it more so than Jon because I'm a woman asking another woman. How old are you Dr. B?
• 31:44
  Dr. Bertrhude Albert: Oh, yes, I am. I just turned 32.
• 31:47
  Becky Endicott: You are 32 years old. And I am looking and listening to your growth mindset. And how to walk in as a leader with absolute humility with eyes wide open with instead of bringing your development plan your strategic plan, you bring a blank piece of paper to me and you're like community, get in here. And let's like build something impactful. And I am just so effervescent in my hope and my joy right now that this is the way you change the world. I also want to compliment your storytelling, because I think the way that even just the way you're speaking to us, I feel the other human on the I feel like I can see them on the other side of this. But as we were doing some research on your nonprofit before this conversation, we fell down a rabbit hole of watching your TikToks. You have more than 800,000 views on your videos there. So we clearly know that we're not the only ones who are enamored by it. So talk to us about storytelling on TikTok because we see this as a rising emerging medium of connection, of storytelling of bringing this true lived experience and not the prettiest version. But the real human version to people we want to know like what is your experience been like telling these stories and providing education on this platform and talk about it a little bit with us?
• 33:19
  Dr. Bertrhude Albert: Certainly.
• 33:19
  Dr. Bertrhude Albert: Thank you for that, Becky. So January of this year, I decided to start TikTok, I started TikTok, interesting, I'm horrible with technology as you all saw earlier. I'm really bad with technology. So I've stayed away, even my Instagram, I wasn't too active just because I struggle with technology. But I knew in my heart that I can't just work in Haiti, because at the end of the day, I'm not eternal on this earth and I want to leave something behind that can help inspire more change throughout the world. Maybe not even just Haiti, maybe with other countries. And as I was thinking through, I'm like stories. That's how you change the world. It's through telling your story. And so I decided in January to start my my TikTok.
• 34:09
  Dr. Bertrhude Albert: And I've been blown away, as you mentioned 55,000 new followers on on TikTok. And I'm blown way and even my Instagram, I haven't even like 800 900 people on my Instagram. I'm at about 12,000 people, new people on Instagram where I'm doing nothing but just telling the true story of the Haitian people because the the media doesn't do the best job at telling the full story of the Haitian people. And I think as you all have said it multiple times, people are attracted to stories like they want to hold on to something they feel is real and authentic. And that has been my tagline is a Haitian American, dedicated to telling Haiti's true story. And so that's exactly what I do on my tick tock just telling the stories having short clips of different parts of Haiti. I mean, yup, Haiti was the first free black Republic in the world. Haiti gained independence in 1804. And when Haiti gained independence, Haiti inspired the freedom and liberty of other Latin American countries. That's why you can see Haiti's flag in the Colombian flag. Haiti gave independence not just for Haitians, but for the world for enslaved Africans across the Caribbean, across the world. And that's why you see that Haiti being the second nation in the West And hemisphere, the first established nation in the Caribbean. We inspired the abolition of, of slavery in the Dominican Republic in several Latin American countries. Haiti stands as a powerful symbol of freedom and liberty specifically for for us Black folks and, and when you see that story, and you share it, people are like, I never knew this. That's not what media or school has taught me.
• 36:02
  Dr. Bertrhude Albert: And it's my joy to share that story with the rest of the world.
• 36:06
  Jonathan McCoy: That's your masterclass, you know, you come for one thing come for the tactic of how to you TikTok and Dr. B takes us to the core of it, you know, you tell a story that is brings hope that paints people in the best of light that brings dignity that brings celebration and the way you talk like you love Haiti, you love the people. And I just feel it through the screen. And now you'll feel it, you know, in this podcast today, it's paining me, because we're kind of coming to the end of our conversation.
• 36:32
  Jonathan McCoy: But when it gives you a chance to tell a story, because we have seen personally the power of philanthropy in our own lives, how it changes us as people, whether someone giving or maybe being part of a giving experience, I want to kick it to you B, could you share a moment of philanthropy that is stuck with you throughout your journey?
• 36:49
  Dr. Bertrhude Albert: One of the most powerful stories that I have carried and I will continue to carry with me, I think the rest of my life, it, it really shines light on our trainers, and our trainers, they are the ones who are the heroes of the story, they are the true change, even though Jon, Becky, I'm talking with you today, right now, the true success of P4H is because of our full time staff, we've got 40 full time staff, they're the ones that travel across the nation, training teachers, they're the ones that are in the trenches, that were the ones that are creating the true change in Haiti. And what really gives me a lot of encouragement is realizing in the beginning of P4H. It was Priscilla and I who were trainers, and we were doing training trainings. But as as time progressed, we realized if we truly want to believe in, like the empowerment of the Haitian people. And we truly believe that Pris, you and I are not the solution. It should be the Haitian people that are doing the training. And so we would train the Haitian people.
• 37:49
  Dr. Bertrhude Albert: And we had a small team of people that would be trained, and they would get really good at training other teachers. But there was this one man, specifically Lwa, who just excelled. And there reached a point where Lwa became a better trainer than me. And I looked at him one day, like I was seeing him train one day I said, Lwa, you realize that you are better than me at training. Not only is the passion there, you speak the language 10 times better than me. You've been in the Haitian classroom in a way that I've never been an Asian classroom.
• 38:21
  Dr. Bertrhude Albert: You are a better trainer than me. I told him, I said, Lwa, I can't wait to see what the future happened. What in what happens in the future. Tell me how y'all last year, we were sitting down with with a group of trainers. And there's another guy Wisnaud who rose up to be even better than Lwa. And so we're sitting down reflecting and Lwa looks at Wisnaud and he says, Wisnaud you're a better trainer than me. You are and he starts rattling off all of these different things. And he's like, You have surpassed who I am as a trainer. And I know I've done a great job because you've done that. And he says, and Dr. B, she did it with me, you now have surpassed me, Wisnaud, it's your turn, go find someone else who's going to be a better trainer than you, is going to be more effective than you. And that's how we change the system. And I am just like crying, weeping because I'm like, that's the heart of philanthropy, right?
• 39:19
  Dr. Bertrhude Albert: It's not about you. I know I've done a good job. If you're better than me, if you don't need me, if one day we reach a point where you say, B you're here because I love you. I want you to be here not because I need you to be here. And to this day, it grounds me and knowing that P4H as an organization, the minute we've worked ourselves out of job and the teachers are better than our trainers. That's when I know like, man, we've we've done a very good job.
• 39:46
  Becky Endicott: I mean, we just think that upskilling with a heart for humility, and checking your ego at the door is the great multiplier of greatness.
• 39:53
  Becky Endicott: And it just feels like a ripple that you've started here. And you're allowing it to just grow and grow and grow in the greatest compliment B of your life is when you come to the end of your legacy. And there are hundreds of people that have flown from the Dr. B and to me that is how systemic change works. And to me the great gift of all of this is the empowerment of how you've changed their lives and how they'll change others. You know, we're Good friends with Skyler Badenoch and our friends over at Hope for Haiti, you're helping train our friends over at Hope for Haiti and the cross partnership between nonprofits is an is something we haven't even discussed in this. It's community to community, it's nonprofit, to nonprofit, and I just want to make you my friend for life. You're gonna have all the good things that you deserve. And I love that the underpinning now of what I'm feeling in this conversation is what you just said, about Haiti being the first free black Republic. And we got to channel that as something that was the first of its kind of empowerment. And now you're just taking it and running with it.
• 41:13
  Becky Endicott: So gosh, Dr. B, how are we going to wrap this up? I mean, I got to pitch you are one good thing.
• 41:22
  Becky Endicott: And I want to know, how are you going to distill? All of what you have learned? How can you bring it back to one good thing that you could offer to our community today, what would be yours?
• 41:36
  Dr. Bertrhude Albert: The one good thing I have learned, the one good thing that I focus my life on, is that people are not the problem, they are the solution. I truly with everything in me believe that this world will be an even better place. As we look at our brothers and sisters left and right. Whether they look like us sound like this, whether they're they have the same education are not whatever it might be, if we look at them as the solution to the problems in this world, and not the problems of this world.
• 42:09
  Dr. Bertrhude Albert: So I'd encourage everybody that's listening, to continue to find ways that you can help elevate, affirm the dignity of people, and really focus the things that you're doing in this world on advancing the lives of other people.
• 42:28
  Jonathan McCoy: Am I surprised that B brought up back to her values that inform everything?
• 42:30
  Jonathan McCoy: You know, this conversation has completely grown my heart, and I feel like I knew your story coming in the door. I'm getting emotional feeling this. There's so much here for everybody in this community. And I just hope that this is a springboard for so many people like Becky just said to connect with you all the work you're doing matters, the thought leadership, your TikToks matter, like all of it. So share it, please share the ways how can what are your needs? And how can people connect with you personally, and also through
• 43:02
  Dr. Bertrhude Albert: What a great question. People can P4H.
• 43:06
  Dr. Bertrhude Albert: certainly connect with me personally, through my tiktoks.
• 43:11
  Dr. Bertrhude Albert: And through my Instagram, I'm pretty active there. And so my both handles are just my first name, Bertrhud, B E, R T, R, H U D. Also P4H Global is on Instagram and Facebook. So you, you all can join us there. I think the greatest way that you all can help us in this season is certainly helping us to reframe the story of the Haitian people sharing the story of being inspired by it, allowing it to, to inspire you to do even greater things, and of course, helping us share that story. And then also, we are always looking for professionals that can help us train our trainers in Haiti.
• 43:51
  Dr. Bertrhude Albert: And so like last month, we had somebody has an expertise on trauma. And so we had a training for our trainers on like trauma, how to have a trauma informed school. And so we're always trying to find ways to empower, strengthen our core 40 trainers.
• 44:09
  Dr. Bertrhude Albert: And as they're strengthened, they go on and strengthen hundreds upon hundreds of teachers across the entire nation. And of course, you already know we need funds to move forward. So y'all want to donate we accept and with a happy heart. But that that's it.
• 44:29
  Dr. Bertrhude Albert: Thank you all so much for this time for your time. Jon, Becky, for for your time, everybody that's listening. This has been such a joy for me.
• 44:39
  Becky Endicott: For us too and I just like want to close by saying Mr. And Mrs. Albert, mama and daddy Albert. You've done so good. You've done so good with your with your children. And with this child, they what you are giving back is just absolutely it started with education. And the fact that you rolled back into education is just the fairy tale and the aspirational part of the story for me, so keep going. We are absolutely rooting for you, Dr.
• 45:09
  Becky Endicott: B.
• 45:11
  Dr. Bertrhude Albert: Oh, I just love you all. Thank you so much.
• 45:16
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• 45:16
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• 45:18
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• 45:37
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• 45:49
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