About Us
The Concerned Haitian Americans of Illinois (CHAI), a 501 (c)(3) charity is a non-profit organization dedicated to assisting the poor in Haiti, with an emphasis on children. CHAI main areas of concentration are in education and medical care, both of which are essential to the healthy growth of body and mind. Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere and over the last 20 years the situation has worsened.
Political instability has discouraged private enterprise, resulting in an unemployment rate of over 50%; Deforestation of the land and erosion of the topsoil has decreased agricultural exploits; and Hurricanes have devastated the coffee trees, a major export. In Haiti, life can be a daily struggle. Clean water, food, medical and dental care, clothing and education are luxuries rarely attained by the majority of Haitians. Tens of thousands of children perish each year from easily treatable conditions such as diarrhea, dehydration, and malnutrition.