Interview with Michael Shields and Dr. Thony Voltaire

An Interview with the founders of Alyans Sante Borgne (A.S.B)

Shields Sundberg, Chair of the Board of Directors, speaks with A.S.B. Founders Michael Shields and Dr. Thony Voltaire

How did you two meet?

Michael: We had formed Alyans Sante Borgne with Dr. Ernst Jasmin who was then and remains the Minister of Health for the northern province; and we had arranged to meet at a local church with a doctor who was doing his Social Service internship in Borgne. Dr. Thony Voltaire was a local hero, having been a star student who left Borgne for Port au Prince and then Medical School in Cuba. Our goal was to see if this young doctor could lead our new partnership. We knew immediately he was the right person --humble, fiercely committed, selfless and brilliant. His passion and energy matched Rose-Marie’s. I knew that he would change this community’s failed health system. Shortly thereafter I had to convince Dr. Jasmin, the Director of the Department of Health for Northern Haiti, that Dr. Voltaire was the right choice despite his young age and lack of formal leadership experience. Dr. Jasmin ultimately agreed that “Dok Thony” (his local name) could lead the alliance. That was our first big step forward.

Why and when did you create A.S.B?

Michael: The conditions in Borgne were literally among the worst in the entire nation of Haiti: mountainous, remote, and far from the capital in a country where political and economic power are highly centralized: Oboy (the commune’s nickname in kreyol) had fallen off the radar. The H.O.P.E. clinic that Rose-Marie started was popular and critically important, but simply too small and understaffed to meet the needs of this population of 80,000. Rose Marie and I made a great team: she was a radical anthropologist who loved her homeland and was committed to addressing the suffering in this community. I was a systems thinker and entrepreneur who believed it was possible for H.O.P.E. to grow without losing Rose-Marie’s ethic. Thus our goal was for us to reopen the hospital and gain access to the other funding sources that were being lost due to the lack of a formalized health system in Borgne. We also needed Haitian Ministry of Health (MSPP) support to find professional medical staff to grow our services. ASB, which we started in 2006, was our partnership to meet those objectives. With MSPP support we have access to their staffing and funding sources. This partnership legitimizes our health systems and in turn we provide valuable data and insights on how best to meet holistic health needs of rural Haiti.

What makes ASB so successful in Haiti?

Thony: ASB is successful due to the sincerity and enthusiasm on all sides, those of us who work for H.O.P.E. in Borgne, the U.S.A. Board of Directors, and M.S.P.P. Rose-Marie never agreed to reach out to someone to only “help her up.” She was able to go further to find the cause of the fall. Her humility allowed her to consider all humans equal with values and dignity to be respected. She was able to blend in with the community, understand the problem, and join people together to find solutions. There, her humble and ingenious manner compelled one to persevere and flourish.

She shaped our unique approach; we place an enduring partnership at the center of all we do. No other NGO I see is doing that, or really listening to one another to promote innovative, locally-derived programs.

What are you most proud of about this longstanding partnership?

Thony: I'm proud of our model: treating the roots of the tree to produce better fruits. Michael: I am proud of the strength and resilience of this partnership through 15 years, and the recognition that we have literally moved from the worst health care in northern Haiti to its best rural health system. The data speaks for itself but equally important: this model has been recognized and replicated by many organizations as one that works well for rural Haiti.

You two have always seemed like brothers to me. What holds your profound friendship together?

Michael: We have bonds that can only be built through perseverance and trust during hardship and adversity. Thony: We share the same vision. We believe in a better world for everyone, and we work everyday for that. “We have built trust in Borgne, walking as we have with this community through ups and downs, over many years. Our deep understanding of the community informs all decisions about programs and actions, in health, education, and economic well-being. All we need are the means — the opportunity to put all that we’ve learned and know into practice – to keep pace with the committed, inspiring experts who work every day in Borgne.”

– Mike Shields, Founder Alyans Sante Borgne and

Chair of Strategic Development Committee