This document presents a six-year strategy for the USAID program in Haiti for the
1999-2004 period. It capitalizes on Haiti’s unique development environment and USAID’s
investments and experiences during the previous five years. The goal of the 1993-1997
strategy was to help establish the conditions for the majority of Haitians to improve the
quality of their lives. Our new strategy emphasizes poverty reduction in a democratic society
through activities which mitigate the effects of poverty, addresses poverty’s underlying
causes — high fertility, poor education and environmental degradation — and creates
opportunities to increase income. This strategy supports economic growth not only by
enabling Haitians of all economic classes to be more productivebut also by addressing their
security, and governance concerns and their aspiration to participate more fully in the
development of the country.