Voices from Mizak
Hear from the people whose lives and work give HAPI’s programs their meaning.
Care, learning, and opportunity are personal. These neighbors share what changed for them, what remains hard, and what they hope comes next—in their own words.
Bedjina and Jayson
Care that continues beyond delivery
Bedjina first came to Felisane Health Center three months into her pregnancy. She attended StartRight education sessions, delivered Jayson at the center, and still returns for his vaccinations and medical visits.
“The knowledge I received helped me feel more prepared for motherhood.”
When bumps appeared on Jayson’s skin, she brought him back to familiar staff. “We were warmly welcomed, and the staff held and played with Jayson. He was happy to see familiar faces again.” After the consultation, she collected his prescription at the pharmacy.
“I have never had a bad experience at the Felisane Health Center. That is why I continue to come back and encourage other pregnant women I know to come here as well. I consider the center a trusted place for care in our community.”
A hope for the next generation
Gabriel spent much of his life farming and traveled to the Dominican Republic for work so he could support his wife and educate their nine children. Now 77, he lives with high blood pressure and diabetes, and work in the fields has become difficult.
After a community health assessment, he joined HeartStrong. Nurses visit him monthly to check his health and talk with him about food and managing his conditions.
“I worked hard because I wanted my children to have opportunities that I did not have.”
His dream reaches beyond his own care: he hopes some of his children and 18 grandchildren will become nurses and doctors, then return to serve communities where healthcare is scarce.
Gabriel Chamilien
Philoza Lauture
Kindness she can hear and feel
Philoza once worked as an embroiderer and at a hotel in Port-au-Prince. An accident damaged one eye, and her vision slowly worsened. Unable to afford surgery, she eventually lost her sight. After the 2010 earthquake, she returned to Mizak. Her unfinished house and her son’s loss of work have made daily life uncertain.
Through HonorCare, Felisane nurses visit her at home each month, check her health, and bring medication.
“Sometimes I feel sad that I cannot see [Nurse Micheline’s] face or know what she looks like. But I notice how kind she is through her voice and her gentle hands.”
For Philoza, knowing the team will come back is a source of comfort: “Their love reminds me that despite everything, I am never alone.”
“They belong in every space”
Valentine enrolled in HAPITech’s ceramic tiling class as its only woman. She went on to complete computer literacy and English courses while studying Business Management.
Her first construction job after training left her unpaid for five days of work. When HAPI later hired her for a building project, she was paid fairly and treated as a professional.
“That experience restored my confidence—not just in the work, but in what is possible.”
Valentine hopes to become an independent businesswoman and wants other young women to know they belong in every field. “Programs like HAPITech don’t just teach skills. They change what people believe is possible.”
HAPITech ceramic tiling work
Stanley Thévenin
Passing opportunity along
Stanley had raised rabbits before, but without the right knowledge, he lost them all. In 2023 he joined HAPI’s youth agro-economy program, learned rabbit breeding and small business skills, and received three rabbits and a hutch.
When they reproduced, he returned three rabbits so another young person could begin. He now has about 20, expanded his hutch, and uses sales to save, meet his needs, and take a HAPITech computer literacy class. Sales can be irregular, sometimes with months between customers.
“HAPI gave me this opportunity, so I want to do the same for others.”
He shares rabbits with friends and encourages them to join. His lesson: without training, owning rabbits alone does not make a business thrive.
Follow the voices from the field
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