In January 2010, a 7.0-magnitude earthquake struck Haiti near Port-au-Prince, causing massive structural damage, killing tens of thousands of people, and displacing many more. The devastation dealt not only a physical blow to the nation but also a psychological one.
For Dominique Joseph, it represented a call to action.
Dominique grew up in Port-au-Prince, and has a degree in accounting from the University of Haiti and post-graduate training in business management at the Economic Growth Initiative for Haiti. He began his career in the for-profit sector, but the 2010 earthquake inspired him to shift his efforts to aid others in nonprofit organizations.
As deputy chief coordinator for Catholic Relief Services, he facilitated the relocation of basic health services from St. Francis de Sales Hospital in Port-au-Prince, which was more than 80% destroyed by the earthquake. He then served as operations director for the Red Cross and as senior operations manager for United Methodist Committee on Relief before joining Konbit Sante in 2017 as administrator of the Cap-Haitien office.
“Konbit Sante is mostly health-directed, which I love,” he said. “I want to help people, and with Konbit Sante, I have the opportunity to do so.”
Located on the campus of Justinien University Hospital, the Konbit Sante office serves as the hub from which all of our activities in Haiti begin. The office administrator oversees the day-to-day operations and plays a crucial role in keeping everything on track, including clearing items from customs, managing contracts for employees at our partner healthcare facilities, providing administrative support to our partners and other nonprofit organizations, serving as the primary liaison to government agencies, supervising and training staff, and facilitating the purchase of medicines and supplies.
“Dominique is a natural leader and a true asset for our organization,” said Konbit Sante Executive Director Rupal Ramesh Shah. “Whenever there are uncertainties on how to implement projects in Haiti and follow through, I know I can count on Dominique to come up with a strategic solution.”
In his spare time, Dominique enjoys following the Golden State Warriors basketball team and spending time with his wife, Dina, and two daughters: Danikeith, 13, and Nandy, 7. He is working on pursuing a master’s degree in public administration as time allows.
Dominique hopes that by working for Konbit Sante, he can help build a sustainable health system in Haiti and promote positive change in his country.
“Anything that I feel is negative, I try to transform it into something positive,” he said. “Even though living in Haiti is really challenging and can be difficult, I hope that with my contributions, things can be changed.
“I know in my heart that if I do my part, change can happen.”