I come from a low-income family. I was raised without a father or help from family members. Despite having no intellectual background, my mother sold various things to satisfy my basic needs. My grandmother raised me during my childhood and worked the earth very hard to give me daily bread. Perhaps this accounts for my hardworking nature. My greatest blessing is that I grew up among other children my age, cultivated adults and elderlies who coached me throughout my way. When I was little, I remembered comments that people said about me being an intelligent child who always did very well in school. I have always been brilliant among my peers. The day of my birthday has often been strange to me. Sometimes I forgot or wanted to weep for not celebrating it because I never had money on that day.
My relatives and close friends never gave me gifts on my birthday. A solution naturally came into my mind to alleviate the sadness. I started staying in my room or going to the beach with my little canvas tent with sheets of paper to write poems, plan a new year, sleep, and pray. That is how my "fasting day" routine on my birthday began. For some people, a birthday is a day of enjoyment, a moment where people dance to celebrate a birth. Mine is very different because it is about prayer, rest, writing poetry, and strategic planning for a new year in my life. I offer gifts to myself in the future and work hard to achieve my goals. During this day, I do not receive any phone calls, wishes, or visits from anyone. It would be sad to change that habit if one day I am married or have a job that does not allow me to take this time on that day.
I have lived a real animal human nature because of my survival experience growing up in the countryside. In my poetry book titled "An Nou Retounen Lakay" (Let's Get Back Home), published in Haitian Creole, I declared that "mwen se yon nèg kiltive san kilti" (I am a cultivated man without culture). I can adapt myself to any environment because I learn from various sources. Undoubtedly, my nature of being honest would fall from any suspicion. As I grew up, I developed an independent spirit that resulted from my ability to overcome new challenges. I was challenged to use my imagination throughout every experience. In my life, transitions are an ordinary equation that pushes me to experiment with myself. Coming to the United States in August 2016, my resiliency was formed by sincerity, self-reliance, and creativity, as I lived with no one to guide my steps until 2020, when I got married to create a new family.
In considering my terminal values, I realize adapting myself to success gives me a sense of accomplishment, and I always strive to reach my goal due to my loneliness. My weakness is my strength since the lonelier I am, the stronger I feel to resist in front of adversities. If someone wants to make me move slowly in doing something, do not challenge me or refuse to do it for me. You will be jealous of how abundant I will do it for the good of others. Competitors cannot compete with me because of this, and that is one thing that makes them anxious about me. The voluntarism I developed in childhood helped me move with kindness and respect. Volunteering allows me to learn and increase my independence. My relationship with other groups of people teaches me to incline, feel other people's needs, and be ready to mingle with any group in society.
I was born in Anse Hainault, Grand Anse department, on July 3, 1986, and grew up in Ile-a-Vache and Les Cayes, south of Haiti. I am a poet and developed a passion for social activism and community voluntarism during my childhood. I have degrees in communication, Law, and legal sciences from the State University of Haiti, and I ran for congress in 2015. Due to my political affiliation, I was targeted for my propensity to speak out against youth mistreatment, inclusion, and social cohesion. Coming to the United States in August 2016, I gained the motivation I once had and want to educate myself better to benefit others. As a public servant and committed individual, I know that I am capable of reaching my goals. The most important thing is I have a great passion for education and believe that all is possible through it.
I am always eager to learn new skills. In addition to taking English classes at the Hyde Park Library in Boston, I earned a nursing assistant certification at K&K in Brocton to test my English understanding and then went on to study paralegal studies at Boston University. As part of my studies, I took filmmaking and video production certificate at the Community Supported Film (CSFilm) in Roxbury. I further my studies by obtaining a master's degree in Public Service at the University of Arkansas Clinton School of Public Service. I am a co-founder and the chairman of ITIAHaiti, a 501c3 literary, educational, and cultural organization operating in the United States and Haiti. Additionally, I own THELIMO Services, where I work as a Haitian Creole editor, English, and French translator, notary public, book publisher, etc.
I volunteered at Catholic Charities in Boston; Volunteering for the Development of Haiti; Alliance Française of Les Cayes; Haitian Red Cross; Health and Information Program (PSI-Haiti); UNICEF; and for the National Advocacy Organization for Individuals living with Handicap in Haiti. I am a founding member of the Haiti National Network of Young Volunteers (RNJV-Haiti); and the Executive Director of the Haiti Institute of Technical and Professional Training. In addition to these activities, I advocated for human rights with "l'Amicale des Juristes" and hosted radio and TV programs in Haiti and the US. I am a co-founder and the president of a political party called "KÒTAKÒT" (Stand together/ Side by Side).
Wilson Thelimo Louis.
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