Who We Are!  Ki Moun Nou Ye!

Jeanette Alfred
Founder & President  -   jeanette@haitireads.org

Raised in Germany, Jeanette has been involved in the Haitian community since 1995 working for Northwestern's Haitian Ambiance Radio station with hosts Gary Gaspard and Haitian Comedian Frederick. In 2000, she visited Haiti and decided to start Haiti Reads. She returned to Haiti a few months later and began teaching leadership classes, and planning to build the Haiti Reads Library. The library was opened in late 2009.
"While in Haiti, I saw something that reminded me on my own upbringing and that was that most all of the children I met did not have books of their own. I remember the sadness I felt not having access to picture books because I grew up in a household with virtually no books that were appropriate for kids."     
Since 2000, Jeanette has made many trips to Haiti to work with children in neighborhoods of Port-au-Prince. Jeanette teaches English as a Second Language and German and holds a Masters Degree in Curriculum and Instruction and Project Based Learning.

Bobbi Weaver
Vice-President & Library Consultant  -  bobbi@haitireads.org

Bobbi lives in San Diego, but was raised in the Philadelphia area. She has earned an M.S. in Library Science from The Catholic University of America and a J.D. from Temple University. Since 1997, she has worked as a reference law librarian with a specialty in foreign and international law. She is an active member of the Special Libraries Association. As a professional librarian, Bobbi is especially interested in causes that promote literacy. Her favorite authors are Margaret Atwood and Alice Walker.

Gerald Alfred 
Music Teacher and Coordinator for 'Kicks for Haiti'  -  gerald@haitireads.org

Gerald Alfred joined Haiti Reads after the 2010 earthquake. As an avid soccer player, he organized a soccer program for the children served by Haiti Reads. Since 2010, he has been the coordinator of the new Haiti Reads sports program, Kicks for Haiti.

Besides loving sports, Gerald is an accomplished guitarist, and, for the past ten years, he has been the lead guitarist for the Haitian folk roots band, Boukman Eksperyans. Because of his extensive travels, he speaks fluent French and English, in addition to his native Haitian Creole.

Jean Baptiste Franzy
Volunteer and Owner and Directeur Haiti Service Peinture   -   franz_10@yahoo.fr

Jean Baptiste Fantzy was born and raised in Grand Anse, Haiti. Jean Baptiste's interest in working for a grassroots non-profit organization comes from the passion his father shared with him when he was director of Project Compassion for Haiti in Port de Paix. One day, Jean Baptiste and Jeanette Alfred were talking about how they could make a difference in Haiti and, after several conversations, arrived at the idea of Haiti Reads. From that day, Jean Baptiste has been passionate about getting the library program of the ground.

Jean Erik 
Library Manager  -  booksforhaiti@haitireads.org

Jean Erik has been with Haiti Reads since its beginning--first as a volunteer than as the only paid staff member. Eric’s job is to receive, unpack, catalog books, and open and close the library. He is a Theology student at the Institute of Grace in Delmas 24.

Zaza Francois 
Kash-Kash Gallery Supervisor / Owner  -  booksforhaiti@haitireads.org

Zaza is an accomplished Haitian artist who founded and runs KashKash Gallery. Haiti Reads works in close collaboration with Zaza and has hired her to overlook the making of art for Haiti Reads. Her staff of artists keeps growing and Haiti Reads is delighted in making it possible for many of the young women in training to make a living for themselves and their families from the proceeds of art Haiti Reads sells. Art made by Kash-Kash Gallery will be available for purchase on-line soon.

Peter Dalce
Owner and Director of Zola Tech   -   zolatechecoleprofessionnelle@yahoo.fr  

Peter Dalcé studied education and then began his career as a high school teacher. In 2004 he began teaching at 
a professional school in Port-au-Prince. Seeing the lack of trade schools in Carrefour, he decided to open one in 
2008 in Lamentin 54.
The tragedy of January 10, 2010 forced them to close the training center for a few months. In October of that year 
they were able to re-open in the same location since part of it had been spared by the earthquake. 
Zola Tech offers classes in computer repair, languages (Spanish and English), cosmetology, technical banking 
(training to work as a bank clerk/cashier). Training programs last one to two years. There are currently 97 
students.
Haiti Reads is housed at Zola Tech!