StartingBloc Fellowship Essay #3:

I Seek To Be a More Effective

Agent of Social Change. Here’s Why.

After the devastating earthquake of January 2010, I traveled to Haiti and underwent a life-altering experience. I decided I had to do something to help the people I met.

So I co-founded a grassroots nonprofit organization called Hope on a String. Our goal is to use participation in music as a catalyst for sustainable social change.

Mission: To foster an environment of social transformation and economic development in Haiti through participation in music.

Theory of Change:

To sustain social change, you need a platform of support upon which it can rest. And to build that base, we seek to rally Haitians around a common touchstone.

In Haitian society, music is a key cultural pillar and a universal source of joy and creative expression. We use it as a tool to stimulate community-level engagement.

We launched our programming in the summer of 2011, enrolling nearly 650 individuals at our community center in Corail, Haiti.

With the help of local musicians and donated instruments, we host basic music theory classes and instrument-specific instruction, along with choral and dance groups.

We also hold frequent community concerts that showcase the musical talent in our program and among the local population. Entrance is free for all!

Music does have a tangible effect on community building, but it does not necessarily generate meaningful income, provide electricity and clean water, or fix many of the other problems rural Haitians face in their daily lives.

To address these issues, and leverage the unity we build through music, we launched a Resource Center, the second important component in our programming.

Under the umbrella of our Resource Center, we host English language classes, a leadership seminar, and other targeted workshops that draw on the desires and innate talents of the community.

Success for Hope on a String is a vibrant, empowered community united in common purpose that has the capacity and resources it needs to solve fundamental problems that exist in rural Haitian life.

We work hand-in-hand with all community members, young and old, to build our organizational structure, coordinate our programming, and work towards a brighter future together.

I am applying to the StartingBloc Fellowship to increase my effectiveness as a social change leader and to help bring lasting, positive change to our community.

Thank you for your consideration.