Meet Our
Partners in Haiti
The Vassar Haiti Project partners with over 25 community leaders in Chermaitre, Haiti, to make our work possible. These leaders range from school teachers to a doctor and a water technician. Our partners are the backbone of our initiatives, guiding how VHP works and where it will go next.
Père Jean Jonas Laborde
Episcopal Priest & District Director
Jean Jonas Laborde. is our partner on the ground in Haiti who ensures that our projects are working well. He is an Episcopal priest who is responsible for five villages in the northwest. Pere Jonas was born in Gressier, a township near Léogâne where he also attended the local university. After his undergraduate years, he graduated from the Episcopal Church University with a focus on Communication and Public Eelations and Divinity classes. He states, "I love the partnership with Vassar Haiti Project who help and support ourcommunity especially people of Chermaître in the field of Education, Health, Reforestation, and women."
Pere Andre Wildaine
Episcopal Priest & District Director
Pere Andre Wildaine is the priest in charge of the Partnership Program to Chermaitre and several neighboring villages. The Partnership Program is an extension of the Episcopal Diocese of Haiti, which is based in Port au Prince. We chose to work through the Episcopal Diocese on the recommendation of many that they were an organization with a high degree of financial integrity, and also one that placed good people in charge of village projects.Pere Wildaine was Deacon under Pere Soner for a number of years, and was in March promoted for his hard work and was assigned to several villages. His role in Chermaitre and the other villages in which he works is work with our organization toward making positive impact in the areas of education, health, reforestation, water access and purification, and a women’s cooperative. Our mutual goal is to foster sustainable development in Chermaitre.
Clairvoix Adelphin
School Principle
Hailing from Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Dr. Gueslin Joassainvil is the primary doctor at the Chermaitre-Fiervil Health Center. He became our partner in October 2013 and has been the medical director of the Health Center since. At our current capacity, he opens the clinic for two days twice a month. With the help of the nurses, Dr. Joassainvil sees more than 50 patients each day, providing consults as well as prescription medication when necessary. He speaks English, French, and Creole.
Dr. Norvilus Bertrand
Physician-in-Charge at Fiervil Clinic
Dr. Gueslin Joassainvil
Medical Advisor
Hailing from Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Dr. Gueslin Joassainvil is the primary doctor at the Chermaitre-Fiervil Health Center. He became our partner in October 2013 and has been the medical director of the Health Center since. At our current capacity, he opens the clinic for two days twice a month. With the help of the nurses, Dr. Joassainvil sees more than 50 patients each day, providing consults as well as prescription medication when necessary. He speaks English, French, and Creole.
Nurse Amoly Joseph
Clinic Nurse
Nurse Amoly assists Dr. Gueslin in the clinic through his work in the pharmacy. He distributes medications from the on-site pharmacy and keeps an inventory of the medications. He staffs the clinic every day with the help of Nurse Junie. Together, they rotate in making trips to the school in Chermaitre, promoting health education among the students.
Marie Vierge
Midwife
Marie Vierge is the village matron. Trained as a midwife at Alma Mater hospital in Gros-Morne, the nearest city, she used to be supported by the staff there. However, after the earthquake, their support ceased. She perseveres on in her work because she believes in the importance of helping other mothers.
Benoit Profelus
Artist and Founder/Director of Galerie Benoit, Gros Morne
Benoit is a young artist who started to paint when he was 7 years old. When he was 17, Benoit opened his own art workshop, recently named Galerie Benoit & Atelier, and has since been teaching a growing number of students interested in learning from him. Benoit also exhibits his works in Port-au-Prince and Cap-Haitien and continues developing his craft to achieve his goal of “become[ing] a bigger artist… becom[ing] a good businessman and a painter, travel[ing] to sell paintings, go[ing] to every country and exhibit.” As a graduate of the secondary school in Chermaitre, Benoit continues to collaborate with artists in Chermaitre to paint schools and houses in the community.
