In her early childhood, a great desire to devote her life to God began to emerge in her heart. At age seven, she had in mind two choices either to become a nun or a police officer. Finally, she has decided to go with the stronger desire: Becoming a nun. Indeed, she did attend the religious school of Sisters of St Joseph Cluny in Cayes-Jacmel. The explanation for what defines her life today tells us we do not have to look too far: “She was raised in a family that taught her to pray from childhood and ever since prayer becomes the Master key of her life, a fortune, and grace from above. For her entire life, Mother Wildanie Cupidon will never stop thanking her parents enough for staying on their knees to help that young woman complete her education.
After her high school in Haiti, she had moved to Jamaica to complete her studies. While there, she joined the University of the West Indies to learn English and she came out the winner of her promotion. Since she has always been searching for a vocation, she had decided to go Mandeville, another city of Jamaica, and join the Italian community, the Oasis Pace, to come consecrated virgin on December 25, 2003. Afterward, she returned to the Catholic College of Mandeville to study science education, and then in Canada, she attended the University of New Brunswick for training in international relations,
In this interview with African Development Magazine, Mother Wildanie Cupidon speaks about the mission and vision of her foundation and how it was founded. She also speaks about her humanitarian activities despite her experience of suffering and humiliation.
Excerpts:
Humanitarian action includes the protection of civilians and those no longer taking part in hostilities, and the provision of food, water and sanitation, shelter, health services, and other items of assistance, undertaken for the benefit of affected people and to facilitate the return to normal lives and livelihoods. . What has been the most challenging and most rewarding aspects of leadership for you?
Other than the protection of civilians, humanitarian action for me is a form of life, it is a part of oneself. We live with it and we live for it. In my vision, I see a world where humanitarian action will become one with public actions for the determination of human dignity and collective wellbeing.
Among the ten qualities of leadership, I prioritize knowing how to listen and having conviction. But so that I can move forward, I have always fought to have clear objectives, I have always favored the exchange and transmission of knowledge, I have worked to encourage change in a positive direction and I have always used transparency. I understand that these elements are tools of leadership but they are stimuli in my fight for a world of peace and well-being.
For instance, despite living more than 5,000 km from Haiti, yet my momentum charity regularly relieves stagnant hundreds of families in poverty in my homeland of Haiti. Even though I lived in Canada, I still have full control of all the activities implemented by the staff I left behind to manage her organization: “Wildanie Cupidon Foundation.” This is a task that is warmly welcomed by thousands of people. “She always has within My heart has great desire to help others, more specifically, the less privileged. My presence in Gaillard, my hometown, is a real blessing for everyone.” I wanted to offer myself, body, soul, and spirit in sacrifice for the poor,”
What are your major responsibilities to Foundation Wildanie Cupidon and how have you impacted your position on the populace?
For the Wildanie Cupidon Foundation, apart from my administrative responsibility (to be specific), I take on the role of ambassador to establish relations with other state institutions or charitable organizations, national and international. To influence others, you have to put yourself at their service. I am the servant of my people and this is my greatest source of influence. I’m not forcing myself, we work together.
Wildanie Cupidon Foundation is a not-for-profit organization with a mission to reach out to the most inaccessible and poorest neighborhoods of Haiti, which have been experiencing a constant and incomparable misery to provide food and water, education, and health care services, and economic development to the less privileged.
The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are the blueprint to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all, what are your achievements, projects, and success stories so far?
I consider the importance of the 17 SDGs, but my actions focus on the fight against poverty, the search for good health and well-being, the defense of peace, justice, and effective institution, the contribution to education quality, and striving for zero hunger. In this sense, we help the most vulnerable, work with organizations for the integration of diplomas into the labor market, we draw schools and vocational centers …. (complete according to the objectives of the foundation).
With your leadership role and vast experience working with international organizations, what are the needs in Haiti?
Haiti’s needs are structural. This means Haiti needs to plan its development in the short, medium, and long term. In this sense, we need to create a synergy between the State and the multiple actors and bodies that intervene on Haitian soil. Also, institutions must be put in place that can effectively manage the land issue in order to create confidence and stability for residents and entrepreneurs. Finally, Haiti needs foreign direct investment and cooperation wishing to intervene in its internal development plan.
What will it take to build entrepreneurship and employment in Haiti?
For the development of entrepreneurship and employment in Haiti, we need vocational schools that can help us exploit our natural resources. But above all we need to have excess credit for small and medium-sized businesses and for students. Finally, with the waves of news of bad governance, we need above all a return to constitutional order, political stability, security, and good governance.
And what are you trying to do to move the needle?
This is complicated, but I am not giving up. I have tried on several levels to influence things, including I have worked with a number of parliamentarians to put forward proposals for laws that can help change things; I have also worked with some political leaders to incorporate into their agenda items related to our struggle for change; I have worked with grassroots community organizations to educate people about their responsibility in changing their community and the country.
Women are supposed to be celebrated every day for their selfless contribution to the community but there is a low level of participation of women in politics, do you consider becoming a president someday?
Laugh! I, president, was going to change things, I was going to wage a bitter fight against the corrupt…. To write! It’s a joke, I don’t have that plan yet. But seriously, I am fighting for the integration of women and their dignity in the sector. I know that women are capable of leading, I would say better than men to laugh.
African Development Magazine would like to be part of your team reporting your activities, and tourism promotion purposes in Haiti; would you consider supporting/sponsoring ADM for tourism exploration?
Already it is an honor to have African Develop Magazine as a teammate. Thank you for reaching out to us, together we can achieve great things. Why not strengthen the links between Haiti and its mother Africa? I believe that there are tourism opportunities to be seized in a partnership with ADM
Amazing memories are unforgettable; can you share with us the most amazing memory?
Living testimony that amazed me a lot was on my first trip to Santo Domingo, dated July 2004. I met a lady on the bus, unexpectedly she asked me to pray for her. But I was really amazed because I’m not too much of a prayer person, and I don’t have the gift of healing. But, After a little while, closing my eyes, I told her to put her hands in my hands and ask God for all that she wants. After a few minutes or so 2-3 minutes she told me she was done. I told him okay.
Then we continue the road just until I arrived home without speaking. A few months later, on my return from Marigot, I met some seminarians including the lady in a bus. The lady took all her time to look at me, then one of the seminarians told me, my sister, try to speak with this lady because she looked at you a lot, she wants to tell you something. Then I spoke with her. She asked me my name. I answered him: I am Sr Wildanie Cupid, indeed the seminarian answered what you called yourself? I replied: Sister Wildanie CUPIDON. The seminarian answered aloud and shouting, my sister, my sister, my sister you have cured my mother of cancer. The doctor gave her 6 months to live on this earth, but after having had this wonderful meeting with you, on the bus, she told us a lot about you, she told us that you prayed for her. And after this miraculous meeting made with my mother, she returned to her doctor’s appointment, after all the examinations carried out it was declared that my mother is completely cured of cancer. So everyone was amazed at this great miracle. Personally, I shuddered with joy as I cried to hear this living, science-proven testimony. So here is the testimony that surprised me a lot.
Thank you for sharing with African Development Magazine.
Thank you too. I appreciate. God bless you. Amen
ADM2021
