Who We Are

Bekert DesCollines: Executive Director, Haiti and Founder of BATF School
Bekert was born in Belle Anse in a big family. His mom was a "good rice cooker" and fed and raised 6 children. His father is a dress maker. He was always a very good pupil. He was able to attend HIA (Haitian American Institute) where he developed his translation skills. He loves helping other underprivileged people and always wants to work as a volunteer to work on the water project as well as his translation services. Bekert is a member of the Belle Anse Timon Family School committee. One day he wishes to continue his engineering education that was interrupted by the quake and destruction of his university.

Marty Schreiber, MD
Karen Kwong, MD, Executive Director, U.S., and Co-Founder of BATF School
Karen is a general surgeon and Marty is a trauma/critical care surgeon. Karen and Marty have done a surgery mission with Agape in Guatemala. Karen is at CME Hospital in Cayes Jacmel in January. Marty has been in Iraq and Afghanistan. They currently live in Portland, OR. Interests in travel, hiking, reading, and working with our Haitian partners for this Belle Anse School.


Grace Kyser
Some of the missions Grace has worked on include Cambodia, Liberia, Morocco, Spain, Thailand, Hong Kong, China, Kenya, Tanzania. Most have been medical trips but a few were to help young students learn to read English, another was to help college students practice their English. One was to smuggle Bibles into a 'not so free' country. Grace has been involved making quilts for raffles and helping to supply our translators. She owns her own shop, Good Gracious Quilting, since 2001 but have designated it as very part time until her retirement the end of 2011. She enjoys helping her grandkids learn how to sew and make their own quilts as gifts for others. I also enjoy teaching new quilters how to make a good quilt great.


Ruth Elsbee
Profile coming soon.

Team Oregon, Team Ange and others help Jacmel Haiti 2010
Team Oregon, Team Ange and several others met in Cayes-Jacmel Haiti. Here we had the honor of providing care to some of the most beautiful people in the world. A real privilege to be called to do this. We saw much loss and many miracles.
Teams4Haiti Photos and updates


Susan Kaye , Founder and Co-President of Visions for Haiti
Susan Kaye was providing medical care ten days after the quake as well. She formed Visions for Haiti, committed to helping our friends complete their College or University education in order to help their communities and Haiti. Her organization achieved non-profit status and they have accepted BATF as one of their spokes. Our sister organizations share many of the same goals. BATF provides education for underprivileged children aged 3-16, and VFH's goal is to provide higher education for Haitians students. Her candidates have demonstrated commitment to their communities, including projects with our school. Together, we can make even a bigger difference!

Donna Marcelino, webmaster
Donna helped us create and host this website. She became involved when her (awesome) sister Karen told her experience in Haiti and about the goals she was trying to achieve. She is very happy to be able to contribute to this heart-felt cause. :)

Belle Anse Committee

We have a dedicated committee who are undertaking this big commitment and will have a small committee with 5 students-16 years olds and volunteers to help support the school.

• CESAR Edson B. Alain Rene: Responsible Subscriber Contact
  Born in Belle-Anse
  Secondary school
  


• CHERY Rachel: Teacher


• DESCOLLINES Bekert: Executive Director, Haiti and Founder of BATF School
  Born in Belle-Anse in October 24, 1986
  Got his primary and secondary school in Belle-Anse and finished High school in Jacmel.
  (Mar-Dec 2009)Studied English as Second Language
  ( Sep 2009 -…) First year of Civil Engineering
  Creole – French – English – Spanish Translator


• SAINDOR Allan


• PIERRE Jean Marc


• PIERRE Nathalie: Health sector Responsible
  Born in April 1, 1986
  3rd year of nursing


• PIERRE Katty: Principle Accountant
  Born in December 27, 1987
  2nd year Accountable science.


• CONSTANT Rodrigue: Partnership and Counselor
  Born in Cayes –Jacmel May 29, 1979
  3 th year of Economic science.
  Creole – English Translator
  
  Constant was also raised by a single mom, whom he calls very courageous and worked hard so that he could go to University. His father was a doctor and he had wanted to be an OB/Gyn. He then started university and went into economics. If he cannot be a doctor, he envisions becoming a professor and teaching and wants to do social welfare work. He speaks English, French and Spanish,
  
  He is an excellent teacher, working with young and adults. He has so much patience and love for all. I heard him talking to a young girl...explaining that people are many different colors, white, black, yellow, but they are people, so we should call them by their names; they don't like to be called by colors. It was really cute and touching to see.
  
  He volunteers and works with a prominant Haitian woman in Cayes Jacmel educating people on HIV and counseling men and women against violence against women. He has taken courses and read books in this, getting to the roots of issues. He is involved with the Cholera Education effort and is held in very high esteem by the community.

Belle Anse, Haiti Community

Belle-Anse got its name in 1962 when a tourist from France visited the area and was amazed by the beauty of the southeastern cove. Its inhabitants are called Bellansois. Alternative names for Belle-Anse, Haiti include: Saltrou and was in the past called "Saltrou great art" founded since 1789.

Read more details and see photos from Bekert's site: Belle-anse Timoun Family website

Belle Anse School

The University students (who no longer have schools as 80-90% were destroyed) are now teaching students age 5-15 there and 25 young adults who want to learn computers that are being run on a generator ...as well as English, French, Spanish, informatics, arts, math. They feel that education is the only thing that will help with the futures of the children, although their futures for their own education are uncertain. -- kids there love school, and they currently have 83 children and 25 young adults and are growing because people w/o homes are migrating to safer areas and settling there.

Once the land and title is obtained, they plan to set up school on their land under tops. After they've built the benches for the children to sit on. Currently they are running 3 computers on the 1200 watt generator for class.

Mission Statement of our Belle Anse School