MEET HDUH
TEAM
HDUH team is made of concerned Haitian nationals either by birth or through Haitian parents who care deeply about Haiti and want to uphold the legacy of this great nation. These individuals have a special bond with Haiti and are enthusiastic about bringing real systemic change for a stronger, a better, and a self-sufficient Haiti.
JOSEPH MAKHANDAL
CHAMPAGNE
CO-FOUNDER & VP OF HDUH
Joseph Makhandal Champagne is currently an Ambassador of Peace from the Universal Peace Federation. As part of his peace making attempts, in April of 2015, he traveled to Dominican Republic to help resolve the ongoing crisis over the Dominican Republic plan to deport tens of thousands of Haitians. He is a former Mayor of the Borough of South Toms River, New Jersey and a community organizer. Mr. Champagne holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Columbia University. After graduation, he attended Law Center’s Charles Hamilton Houston Pre-law Institute program at Georgetown University, where he won the Best Respondent Advocate award (Class of 1999). Mayor Champagne earned his Juris Doctor degree from Vermont Law School (VLS). While at VLS, he founded the Vermont Law Student Leadership Collective for Human Rights. As an exchange student, Mayor Champagne also studied European Union Law at the University of Trento, School of Law, in Trento, Italy.
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Mr. Champagne served as a Judicial Law Clerk to the Honorable Wendell E. Daniels, J.S.C., Superior Court of New Jersey, Ocean Vicinage. Mr. Champagne practices law in New Jersey and focuses primarily on immigration, criminal and civil law. He is a member of the Ocean County Bar Association. He is admitted to practice in the New Jersey Supreme Court, the United States District Court, the Third and Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals of the United States of America. In addition to State and Municipal courts throughout New Jersey, he appears regularly in Federal courts. In the past, he served as an assistant to the Public Policy Counsel and Executive Director of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law in Washington, D.C.
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Presently, Mr. Champagne serves on several advisory committees including Alternative Dispute Resolution, Law Day, and Minority Concerns. He is a board member of Ocean Community Economic Action Now, (O.C.E.A.N., Inc.), the Global Syndicate, and the Haitian-American Leadership Council. He was appointed by Assignment Judge Lawrence M. Lawson to the Superior Court Monmouth Vicinage Advisory Committee on Minority Concerns. He serves on the Subcommittee on Minority Access to Justice. Mr. Champagne is a member of the Advisory Board UNESCO Center for Global Education in Nigeria and is the co-chair of an orphanage organization called Why Do I Exist? Above all, he is a family man and human rights advocate.
NIKITA SEJOUR, MD
CO-FOUNDER & ADMINISTRATOR
Born in Brooklyn New York, USA, at an early age, Nikita Sejour moved back to St Marc Haiti with her parents where she grew up. She attended Primary School at Mere St-Alvire (Congregation St Joseph De Cluny) in Saint Marc, Department of L’artibonite and Secondary School at Saint Francois D’Assise in Port-au-Prince, Department of L’Ouest.
Post-Graduation in 1995, she went abroad to Mexico to pursue her career at the Universidad Del Noreste, (UNE), Tampico, Mexico where she received her medical degree (MD). She also completed a post-doctoral degree in Public Health, a certification in Health Risk Management and Quality compliance. She returned to New York to successfully complete the United States Medical licensing exam in 2008.
Dr Sejour has acquired valuable experiences over the last decades: working as Clinical Auditor for Medicare and Medicaid in New York. Associate Director of Risk Management at NYC/HHC, Lincoln Hospital, Clinical Compliance Auditor for Fidelis HMO New York, Clinical Director at Dutch Broadway Family Medical Care, PC Multi-specialty practice in Elmont, New York to present.
In 2007, Dr Sejour with her husband also a physician originally from Fort-Liberte Haiti (Department of North-East) founded Tampico Medical Alumni Association (TAMALAS) a not-for-profit organization recognized by the State of New York. The goal is to strengthen the international distinction of the medical school in Tampico by providing an ongoing connection between the alumni and the university. They organized annual reunion in Tampico, Mexico. More than 300 medical students participated in a three (3) days conference where various physicians from the United States and Mexico gathered to meet, reconnect, learn and network.
In January 2010, in the aftermath of the monstrous earthquake that devastated Haiti, the aforementioned TAMALAS Association joined forces with the Asclepius Medical Society (AMS) a not-for-profit organization that promotes the advancement of minorities in the field of medicine through mentorship, academic support, and resources. From January 2010 and beyond, the organization has sent approximately 150 volunteers to Haiti. AMS also responded to the Cholera outbreak in Gonaives, AMS Team headed by Dr Sejour cover the Area devastated by Hurricane Matthieu, supplying food, hygiene kits, medications to those affected. The bridge that linked the 2 organizations facilitated the execution of a series of events that led to her promotion as Executive Director of AMS for over 1o years
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These benevolent achievements speak volume of Dr Sejour’s character. So much has been executed and attempted under her tenure ever since. Nikita is known for her love for her country, her commitment, sense of purpose, makes her passionate and innovative in everything she s involve with, regarding Haitians leaving abroad or in the mother land. Nikita exposes physicians, members, as well as aspiring health professionals to the practice of giving-back through year-round community services, healthcare assistance to the medically underserved populations of Haitians in New York, Haiti, Bahamas, Puerto-Rico, Dominican Republic, Mexico.
In 2016, Nikita and her husband Max inaugurated the second largest Hotel & Resorts in the North-East of Haiti, creating hundreds of jobs, supporting the Tourism infrastructure, instituting a big impact on the socio-economic development of the region.
Nikita Sejour MD is a proud wife, married to her Husband Max Noel, MD, for 15 years, and the mother of two handsome sons, Max-Nickolas and Nick-Anthony.
NARHA NEZIUS, M.Ed
CO-FOUNDER & EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Born in Haiti, Narha immigrated to the United States in 1993. After graduated from a private high school in Florida, she attended Bethune–Cookman University, a private historically black university in Daytona Beach, Florida. Narha transferred to Rutgers University in New Jersey where she earned a bachelor’s in business management & in French Studies. In 2009, with the desire to further sharpen her skills and knowledge in the field of Education and to position herself for Administrative opportunities & advancement, Narha earned a Master's Degree in Education Leadership with a concentration in School Business Administration from Thomas Edison University in New Jersey. Narha is currently Doctoral Candidacy a Doctoral Degree Candidate in Educational Leadership & Technology at Liberty University, Lynchburg, Virginia
In 2001, Narha was certified as a New Jersey State Educator. Soon thereafter, she started a career in Education as a Foreign Language educator. Narha loves her work, her students, and the communities she serves. Her career has allowed her to make a direct impact in those areas. In addition to deliver direct instructions to students, Narha often serves as a test administrator and examiner, curriculum writer, student council advisor, sponsors and supervises Foreign Language clubs. One aspect of her work she particularly enjoys is the endless opportunities to translate or interpret district correspondents for Creole & French speakers in the communities where she works. Throughout her years in education, Narha has been awarded several recognitions, from being Teacher of the Year from Roselle School District to the Champion of the William Paterson University Annual Foreign Languages Poetry Competition.
Despite this long trajectory, Haiti never leaves Narha's mind. In all her accomplishments her focus is always to impact communities with a significant Haitian concentration. Proud of her heritage, she values the hard work and sacrifices of her ancestors. As a responsible Haitian and proud member of the Haitian Diaspora in the United States, Narha takes her role and her civic responsibilities toward Haiti very seriously.
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In 2010, when the 7.0 magnitude earthquake hit Haiti causing so many deaths, injuries, destruction and displacement, Narha joined Alliance International for Saint-Marc (AISM), a non-profit organization working in the locality of Saint-Marc, Haiti.
In 2015, Narha was voted as the President of ASIM. Under her leadership, AISM has successfully organized several fundraising activities, sanitation activities, donated truckloads of medical supplies & equipment to the hospital in Saint-Marc, structural rehabilitation work to the Cathedral and the Prison building in Saint-Marc. More recently, in cooperation with Mano-a-Mano of Dr. Cordero in Roselle Park, and Saint Trinitas Hospital, AISM has donated an ambulance to the hospital in Saint-Marc. These charitable contributions do make a difference in people's lives throughout the region where Narha is originally from.
Married in 2003, Narha is a proud wife and mother of a teenage daughter and twin boys.
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Narha's Personal message
Narha recognizes the realm of the social, economic, and political issues that have hindered the development of Haiti but unlike many of my compatriots, she believes Haiti will rise again. Resilient are Haitians. We are known to have the ability to overcoming adversity & hardships. We did it before, we can do it again. Let us take a look back at our history. Let us revisit the footsteps of our ancestors, the freedom fighters, the enslaved men & women who did the unthinkable, the founding Fathers. Let us understand the significance of the impact we made before in the world. Let us embrace one another, cherish our similarities and accept our differences. Let us unite and think through how we can all work again to lift Haiti up. Let us live up to the expectations of Toussaint Louverture, Jean-Jacques Dessalines, Boisrond Tonnerre, Henri Christophe who sacrificed so much to create that Haiti we all love so dearly. Haiti must become a developed state just like his founding fathers intended it to be. The brave enslaved men and women did not die in vain. Haitians must utilize their bravery, their audacity, their sacrifice, & their courage as a source of inspiration & mechanisms to dig Haiti out of its current undesirable situations.
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