Teach Haiti founder bringing her family along for annual Detroit Lakes visit – Detroit Lakes Tribune
— Miquette Denie McMahon, founder of the nonprofit educational organization,
is making her annual visit to Detroit Lakes next month, and this time, she’s bringing the whole family along with her.
“Everyone will be there with me,” she said — including her husband, Art McMahon, and all three of their children: Max, Rex and Raquel.
Contributed / Miquette Denie McMahon
“They (the children) have been to Minnesota before, but they were very, very young,” she said, adding that the trip will be “an adventure” that brings her family back to the place that helped shape her career.
McMahon considers Detroit Lakes to be
almost a second hometown and “the backbone” of her nonprofit organization,
Teach Haiti, which was founded there 19 years ago.
“I just love this time of the year,” she said. “It’s like coming home every time I get to go (back to Detroit Lakes).”
She originally came to the community in the fall of 2000, through Rotary International’s Youth Exchange Program, to attend Detroit Lakes High School. Ever since, the town has provided immense support for her Teach Haiti mission, prompting her to return frequently for annual fundraisers.
McMahon plans to highlight the long-term impact of her work and outline future goals for the community she serves during her August visit. The public is invited to attend a Teach Haiti Update presentation on Wednesday, Aug. 12. The event will take place at Trinity Lutheran Church, 1401 Madison Ave., Detroit Lakes, from 6:30-8 p.m.
Contributed / Miquette Denie McMahon
During her presentation, McMahon plans to reflect on the organization’s recent successes, most notably the completion of the “Wall of Hope” perimeter structure at the Teach Haiti school in St. Michel, Haiti (McMahon’s hometown). The project, which was completed in December, has fundamentally changed the environment for students and teachers.
Before the wall was built, the school faced constant disruptions from unrest in the surrounding area. Since its completion, the school has become a secure sanctuary where, as McMahon noted, teachers and students are able to learn without constant exposure to the chaos that has historically plagued the region.
The transformation extends beyond safety. Teach Haiti has implemented a comprehensive curriculum that includes full-day instruction, art, physical education and library access — amenities that were previously unavailable to the students.
While she will be highlighting the school’s accomplishments, another focus of Denie’s visit is on the road ahead. Teach Haiti is entering a critical fundraising phase. With 25 students graduating from high school in August, the organization is seeking financial support to send these graduates to trade schools.
Contributed / Miquette McMahon
McMahon emphasized that a $1,000 sponsorship covers a year of technical training, providing students with skills — such as electrical work, solar panel installation and plumbing — that can lead to financial independence. Additionally, the organization continues to prioritize sponsorships for students currently enrolled in the school.
“My focus will be on the impact,” McMahon said, noting that she hopes to share stories of students who have been with the program since first grade and are now pursuing higher education, “with a dream to go back to Haiti and help the community invest in their country.”
To illustrate this, she will also be accompanied on this trip by a Teach Haiti alum and current student at Concordia College in Moorhead, who will serve as a guest speaker during the events.
In addition to the church event, McMahon will host a book signing for her memoir, “The Voice Poverty Cannot Silence,” which was published in October 2025. She has coordinated with Bluebird Books owner Amy Erickson for a signing event on Thursday, Aug. 13. McMahon is also currently finalizing the manuscript for a children’s book — a spinoff of her memoir — which she hopes to publish this fall.
For McMahon, returning to Detroit Lakes is a way to bridge the gap between her native country, her current home in Ohio, and the community that has supported her mission since the beginning. She aims to show local donors that their contributions are providing more than just supplies; they are providing safety, education and a future for children in Haiti. Visit
for more information.
