Meet the team:
Founder/
Executive Director
Brittany Joy Hilker
Brittany lived in Haiti full-time from 2009-2021. She is fluent in Haitian Creole and considers Haiti “home.” After graduating with her Masters Degree in Social Work she moved to Haiti to serve for what she thought would be a short time. A one year commitment soon turned into her life’s mission after the malnutrition she saw everywhere deeply affected her. She began working with local doctors and nurses, helping coordinate malnutrition clinics and facilitating emergency care for children. The majority of her years in Haiti were spent with Danita’s Children, directing malnutrition programs with their pediatric hospital. Upon moving to the U.S. in 2021 Brittany started Partner Haiti in order to continue to expand the work she started with her Haitian colleagues years before. Brittany has had long standing relationships with the Haitian medical professionals she works with and together they are determined to help alleviate the suffering of many men, women and children in rural Haiti.
Country Director and Head Nurse Joel Jean
Joel is a Registered Nurse who is very well known and respected in his community. He grew up in Baie d’Orange, a rural town in Southern Haiti. After going to nursing school in the capital, Port au Prince, he returned to his home village to serve the people that he loves. Joel played a crucial role during the cholera epidemic in 2010, where he worked closely with the Haitian government, running a cholera clinic that is still serving his community today. He also has received extensive training and experience in malnutrition treatment over the past 15 years. Joel works tirelessly for the people he serves, and has never considered this work his job, but rather, his life’s calling.
Nurse Mariline
Mariline works in the Malnutrition Programs and is also our on-call nurse for patients who are sent to the hospital. She makes a 3 hour motorcycle trip each week to help with more than 100 children in the malnutrition program. She takes weight, height, gives out the malnutrition supplement, and provides education to the families. Mariline also plays a key role in being our “hospital” nurse. She lives in the city where we often send people for further hospital care and acts as the advocate for these people, making sure they get the care they deserve at the local hospital. Mariline has a bright spirit and brings so much joy to the workplace.
Nurse Melineda
Melineda works primarily in the Prenatal Program. She provides consultations for pregnant women, checking vital signs and distributing prenatal vitamins. She knows what to look for if complications start to arise and is able to get them help as needed. A big part of Melineda’s job is providing education around pregnancy, delivery, complications, nutrition and family planning. Melineda is a great addition to our team!
Dr. Jean Maxime
Dr. Jean is from Jacmel, Haiti and did his medical schooling in Cuba. He currently works part time for Partner Haiti, holding mobile medical clinics for the village of Baie d’Orange each month. In addition he oversees the malnutrition and prenatal programs and provides check-ups on each child and woman in those programs each month. Our vision is to be able to hire Dr. Jean full time so that he can provide life saving care every single day to the deserving people of Baie d’Orange, Haiti.