She Gave Her Own Money When She Didn’t Have To. Meet the Haitian CEO Who Lifts Women

According to the organization, 111 children were enrolled in school for the 2025–2026 academic year with a reported budget of under $16,000.

One encounter during a community visit in rural Haiti proved particularly striking. It didn’t happen in a sleek office or at a high-level summit. It happened in a rural farming community in Haiti, where a man with dirt under his fingernails and laughter in his eyes looked at Senska Madgscherly O’Donnell and offered her a live chicken.

Senska politely declined. She was thinking about logistics. But the farmer gently corrected her.

“Giving isn’t about having plenty. It’s about seeing someone’s need right now and responding.”

That single exchange became the heartbeat of Womenful Voice, an organization that doesn’t wait for perfect conditions to help Haitian women stand up, speak out, and lead.

A Haitian Woman Who Knows Her Country Deeply

Senska was born and raised in Haiti. She didn’t discover her country’s struggles from a distance. She lived with them. She saw girls pulled out of school, women silenced in community meetings, and mothers with brilliant ideas but no way to fund them.

What sets Senska apart is that she is not just an advocate. She is also a businesswoman. She runs a small business, and that income supports her family, her dreams, and her stability. But Womenful Voice is where she gives, not just her time, not just her expertise, but her own money.

Senska personally donates to Womenful Voice. She feels the financial weight. There are months when it’s tight, when she wonders if she’s doing too much. But then she visits a community. She sees a girl reading her first sentence. She watches a mother open a small savings account. She receives a hug so tight it nearly cracks her ribs.

In her own words:

“The satisfaction and pride I feel outweighs every dollar I give. The smiles I carry home with me? They are beyond anything money can buy.”

Pride That Outweighs the Burden

The conversation around philanthropy often centers on sacrifice. But Senska doesn’t see it as a sacrifice. She sees it as an exchange. She gives money. She receives purpose. She carries a burden. She returns home with joy.

Senska’s philosophy is that meaningful contribution is not dependent on wealth, but on the willingness to act. Womenful Voice was built on that belief. It’s a platform Senska created so that volunteers, board members, and donors alike can contribute to the fight for Haitian women’s empowerment. Senska leads by example, consistently being among the first to contribute both financially and through her presence in the communities Womenful Voice serves.

“I’m not asking you to do anything I wouldn’t do myself.”

Womenful Voice’s Impact at a Glance

The organization’s impact is reflected in measurable outcomes. According to Womenful Voice, a budget of just a little over $16,000 supported the enrollment of 111 children for the 2025–2026 academic year in Haiti. To date, Womenful Voice reports having directly served over 2,000 women and girls in Haiti.

Beyond education, Womenful Voice has also led environmental initiatives, including tree planting efforts that help rebuild the natural surroundings that women and children depend on daily. The organization operates beyond theory, delivering ground-level change led by local women and supported by those who believe in their potential. link to video

The Mission Behind Womenful Voice

The organization’s mission is rooted not in charity, but in gratitude and a commitment to investing in the community that shaped its founder. Women represent a significant majority of Haiti’s population, according to available demographic data.

Womenful Voice’s leadership frames its work not as charity, but as an act of respect, investment, and shared humanity. Through Womenful Voice, Senska has built a model that puts community-led initiatives front and center. That means no outsiders guessing what Haitian women need. No foreign experts flying in for a week and leaving with a report. Instead, local Haitian women decide. Local teams execute. Local voices lead.

The organization reports receiving online volunteer support from participants across more than 25 countries. From India to Cameroon, from Italy to Florida, people are showing up virtually, offering their skills, their time, and their support. The work itself stays in Haiti, rooted in Haitian culture, Haitian reality, and Haitian dignity.

Current Funding Landscape

The organization currently relies heavily on the founder’s personal contributions and a small circle of internal donors, a model the leadership acknowledges is not a long-term solution. Womenful Voice is actively seeking to expand its network of supporters and partners to sustain its long-term growth.

Because when women rise, Haiti rises. And when Haiti rises, the broader global community benefits as well.

Let Me Be Honest With You

Senska does not want to be seen as a savior. She used her privileges as a way to give back home, not out of pity, but out of gratitude. Haiti gave her so much. It shaped her. And the women in the U.S. taught me what empowerment looks like. Now I want to share that same empowerment with women back home.

Why? Because 56% of Haiti’s population is women. She belive cannot afford to squander that potential, especially not with the position Haiti is in today.

Please do not call this charity. This is respect. This is an investment. This is simply being human.

Through Womenful Voice, Senska has built a model that puts community-led initiatives front and center. That means no outsiders guessing what Haitian women need. No foreign “experts” flying in for a week and leaving with a report. Instead, local Haitian women decide. Local teams execute. Local voices lead.

And here’s the beautiful part: over 25 countries are volunteering online to support this work. From India to Cameroon, from Italy to Florida, people are showing up virtually, offering their skills, their time, their prayers. But the work itself? That stays in Haiti, rooted in Haitian culture, Haitian reality, Haitian dignity.

No flashy overhead. No wasteful spending. Just real, sustainable impact designed by the people who live it every day.

The Smiles She Brings Home

In reflecting on her work, Senska shared a thought that speaks to the heart of Womenful Voice’s mission. She said, “When I go back home after visiting a community, my face hurts. Not from crying, from smiling. Those women, those girls, they give me so much more than I could ever give them.”

That’s the foundation of Womenful Voice. It’s not charity. It’s an exchange. It’s respect. It’s Haitian women proving, again and again, that they can do anything if given the opportunity. Senska’s belief in Haitian women’s potential remains the driving force behind everything Womenful Voice does.

Womenful Voice continues to grow through the support of a global community that believes in the potential of Haitian women.

Organizational Presence and Public Information

Womenful Voice maintains an online presence across multiple platforms that provide additional context about its initiatives, leadership, and ongoing activities:

• Website: womenfulvoice.org
• Instagram: @womenfulvoice, @smjean.women
• LinkedIn: Womenful Voice, Senska Madgscherly O’Donnell
• Facebook: Womenful Voice

Senska remains personally accessible through the organization’s social media platforms.

Because when women rise, Haiti rises. And when Haiti rises, we all do. This is simply being human, and that means no one is left behind, especially women.