Partners in Health in Haiti is one of the most highly-regarded NGOs I've ever known of. I have trusted connections in Haiti that speak about it in glowing terms, and it's hard as hell to find anyone critical. They aren't just bringing in health services, their aim is a completely wholistic public health system including addressing poverty, malnutrition, community solidarity, unjust distribution of resources, etc. They train tens of thousands of Haitians to be medical care workers, including hundreds of doctors, and they even work to train up doctors from the poor communities themselves so that they're less likely to leave for Western countries after they get qualified. As they've expanded internationally they've had a major voice in changing public health policy across the world, from national systems to even WHO and UN policy. Their aim at all times is to get more of the world's health resources targeted towards the poor rather than the status quo that always favors the rich.
The founder was a
White American medical student/anthropologist who eventually became a famous doctor but I've read deeply into his life story and belief system and he is obviously genuinely concerned for Haiti and the poor and has sacrificed his whole life to that end, in the last 35 years he's remained based in Haiti,
his family is Haitian, and
his wife Didi heads much of their Haitian and Rwandan programs. Even the critical articles I've found are only critical around the edges, he's one of those guys whose detractors have trouble finding things bad to say about the actual work of Partners in Health. He has shyt on American injustices and imperialism a lot, he's written multiple books just focusing on the ways in which Haiti has been abused by American policy. And he was close personal friends with President Aristide going back to the early 1990s when Aristide was just a priest and hadn't even gotten involved in politics yet.
Though they were founded in Haiti
they also have work in Rwanda and
a number of other countries. They have
a lot of different programs which reflects their wholistic attitude. Also, look at the pictures in those links - no exploitative pictures of children in terrible situations, but respectful and empowering images of people doing good work.
My own work is along somewhat different lines than PIH, and if I were them I wouldn't have made all the same decisions, but I'm can't honestly say that I know my ideas are better. The amount of good that they've done in people's lives is incredible.
