Portrait of graduates : Winny Alfred

A graduate of Sciences Po Lille, major in Conflicts and Development, promotion Eugène Ionesco (2019), Winny Alfred is the founder and manager of the Ateliers de l'Avenir program in Jacmel, Haiti.

"I believe that innovation and the achievement of the SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals) undoubtedly come first and foremost through access to quality education and committed young people to whom we must open more doors."

Her journey

Before arriving at Science Po Lille, Winny enrolled in a degree in political science and international relations at the University of Quisqueya in Port-au-Prince. She is already involved in the voluntary sector and is doing a first internship in the NGO Fonkoze, specializing in micro-credit. She is in charge of monitoring a literacy program.

His second internship is for the United Nations Development Program (UNDP). She assists the head of the poverty reduction & recovery unit and participates in the construction of the Multidimensional Poverty Index of Haiti (IPM). She meets people living in dangerous and poor neighborhoods to assess the different forms of poverty in Haiti: social, educational, health ...

In 2016, she was admitted in the third year of international mobility at Sciences Po Lille as a free mover and continued her studies on the Master in European and International Careers (CEI). It is the first time that she has left Haiti to come to France.

In 2018, she decides to share with young Haitians what she has received and launches in her spare time, a program to promote training, employability and the engagement of young people in society.

Following her internship with the Association Soeur Emmanuelle (ASMAE) in 2019, she named her program the Ateliers de l'Avenir. These workshops aim to promote quality education, professional integration and entrepreneurship. It is expanding the program by offering more training workshops and recruiting 14 volunteers, who have become ambassadors for the program. The online workshops bring together young people in Haiti, France and Europe to create real synergy and moments of exchange.

This program also supports project leaders through training, coaching by other entrepreneurs and 100% Business meetings: the "100% Biznis" program invites entrepreneurs, carrying impact projects, to make themselves known, to exchange with young people and inspire them. According to Winny, entrepreneurship is the solution to get out of poverty.

Finally, Winny is the 2020 laureate of the Institute of Engagement. The winners are young people aged 16 to 30 who are involved in sustained volunteering and are distinguished by their ability to be fully involved in their project and to carry the values of commitment and citizenship.

Students, alumni, do you have projects or would you like to get involved in volunteering with Ateliers de l'Avenir? Do not hesitate to contact Winny to discuss it.

Les Ateliers de l'Avenir

“Ateliers de l'Avenir” was originally a device for social stimulation created in 1960 by the German writer and journalist Robert Jungk. The aim was to create spaces for debate and act together locally. Many researchers and practitioners have used and adapted this method in various fields: environment, health, collective organization, etc.

Launched in 2018 and adapted to the Haitian reality, the “Les Ateliers de l'Avenir” program aims to promote training, professional integration and the engagement of young people in society. The Workshops of the Future can take different forms:

• Information and orientation workshops (access to higher education, jobs, careers ...)
• Practical workshops (creation of CV / cover letter, mock interviews ...)
• Training workshops and conferences on various themes (environment, entrepreneurship, health ...)
• Solidarity workshops (cleaning of public space, tutoring, psychological support for young people ...)

Read more

Find Winny Alfred's profile in the Sciences Po Lille Alumni directory.