Kwasans is a Creole word meaning ‘growth’. At the Kwasans Foundation we are passionate about seeing growth in every facet of Haitian livelihood. By taking a holistic and sustainable approach to development, including nutrition and social enterprise initiatives, we are ultimately empowering Haitians Helping Haitians.
Nutrition & Education
Working to improve the cognitive development of Haitian school children through extensive nutrient testing, ultimately striving to eradicate LF & Iodine Deficiency Disorders.
Social Enterprise
Kwasans is working with existing Haitian organizations, focusing on equipping Haitians with the resources needed to support and bolster their existing capabilities.
OUR LADY'S PARTNERSHIP
We refer to our partnership with the University of Notre Dame and the University of Notre Dame Haiti as "Our Lady's Partnership" to remind us of our joint mission to support our global community. Rooted in the Catholic values of dignity of the human person, family and community, rights and responsibilities, and solidarity, we collectively strive to uplift and strengthen those who need it most.
RECENT NEWS:
Our Earl Carter fellow for the 2023-2024 academic year, Nick Yanek, recently completed the Boston Marathon and has his eyes set on the Olympics.
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MEET OUR TEAM
Dr. Jessica Rigutto-Farebrother, MPharm, MPH
Senior Scientist, ETH Zurich
Dr. Rigutto-Farebrother serves as a Scientist & Lecturer, Laboratory for Nutrition and Metabolic Epigenetics at ETH Zürich, Switzerland as well as Visiting Scientist, Global Center for the Development of the Whole Child, University of Notre Dame, IN and is a Registered Nutritionist with the British Association of Nutritional Medicine and Lifestyle Therapy. Jessica’s research interests lie in improving micronutrient nutrition, with a particular focus on iodine, iron, and thyroid health through the life cycle. She has numerous publications in the scientific press, and works closely with WHO, UNICEF and other international organizations to provide government-level advice on iodine policy globally.
Fr. Thomas Streit, CSC, PhD
Retired Associate Professor, University of Notre Dame
Scientific Research Director, University of Notre Dame Haiti
Fr. Thomas Streit, CSC, PhD has undergraduate (1980) and graduate degrees in theology and arbovirology from the University of Notre Dame. After a 1994-1997 postdoctoral fellowship in Haiti, under the sponsorship of the CDC and a University of Georgia NIH training program, Fr. Streit returned to Notre Dame, where he served on the faculty for 20 years, dividing his time between campus teaching duties and labs in Haiti.
During those years, with grants totaling more than $20 million, Streit assisted CDC and Haitian Government officials to build a model national program for the permanent elimination of lymphatic filariasis (infectious elephantiasis). Included as part of those efforts were the establishment of a Public Health Reference & Training Center at Holy Cross Hospital (Sainte Croix) in Leogane Haiti, where he remains currently as Director of Research. Father also serves on the faculty of the University of Notre Dame of Haiti.
Rev. Jean Herald, PhD
Executive Vice Rector, University of Notre Dame Haiti
To have the possibility of putting my whole being: my faith, my knowledge, my experiences, and my abilities at the service of the others whoever I am.
As a Catholic Priest, Father Herald serves as Vicar at the Parish of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal of Hinche, is National Director of the Episcopal Health Commission, Diocesan chaplain of the Eucharistic Youth Movement and Diocesan of the Diocesan Health Commission as well as Chaplain of Sainte Thérèse de Hinche Hospital. Father Herald is fluent in Creole, French, Italian, English and understands Spanish as well.
Gilbert "Chip" Wirth, Jr.
Executive Director & Founder, Kwasans Foundation
Chip has been an advisor to the University of Notre Dame’s Bon Sel Initiative (BSI) for the past 15 years. Chip —working alongside technical advisors from Cargill— assisted in the supervision of the design and construction of the project’s salt processing plant in Port au Prince, Haiti. In addition to his work with the GC-DWC’s Social Enterprise Initiative through the BSI, he is involved in several additional projects to serve the people of Haiti. Chip is one of the founders of the Maison Fortune Orphanage Foundation, a project that supports 230 underprivileged youth in the town of Hinche. He also worked with the University of Notre Dame Haiti to found and fund the University’s Bio Science Program, a first-of-its-kind program in Haiti.
Jamison Greene
Jamison Greene is currently a consultant at the Boston Consulting Group, based in the Washington DC office. Jamison got his MBA from Notre Dame. With a strong focus on the intersection of business and policy, he leverages his background to provide valuable insights and recommendations to clients.
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Jamison holds a Master of Global Affairs and an MBA from the University of Notre Dame, where he specialized in economic development, strategy, business analytics, and international development. During his time at Notre Dame, he collaborated with The Kwasans Foundation to create a comprehensive, multi-year strategy for the growth and expansion of Mail Boxes Etc. (MBE) franchise stores in Haiti. This innovative initiative aimed to offer essential business services and package delivery options to both Haiti and the Haitian diaspora, while also utilizing a social enterprise model to reinvest all profits towards supporting the education system and bolstering small businesses throughout the country. While at Notre Dame he received the McKenna Center for Human Development and Global Business Fellowship and the Earl Carter Fellowship, highlighting his dedication to both business and social responsibility.
Before attending graduate school, he served as an agriculture business advisor with the United States Peace Corps in Ghana, West Africa. During his service, Jamison partnered with smallholder cashew farmers, the Ghana Ministry of Agriculture, and nongovernmental organizations to increase crop yields, improve financial literacy, and demonstrate value-adding activities such as beekeeping and cashew apple juicing.
Prior to his Peace Corps service, Jamison worked as a senior financial analyst in corporate financial planning and analysis, supply chain management, and government finance roles. He earned a BS in finance and a minor in management information systems from the University of Connecticut, where he gained experience in investment management as a portfolio manager for the UConn student-managed fund.
Jamison’s long-term goal is to leverage his experiences in the private sector and international development sphere to drive inclusive economic development in sub-Saharan Africa.
Nick Yanek
Nick Yanek is a current MBA candidate at the University of Notre Dame and serves as the Earl Carter Fellow for the Global Center for Development of the Whole Child. After graduation this May, Nick will continue his education by pursuing his MD degree with aspirations to operate his own practice or enter hospital administration.
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Prior to his MBA, he graduated summa cum laude with a B.S. in biology (pre-med) at the University of Georgia. While at UGA, he was a NCAA Division I student-athlete on the cross country/track & field teams and competed on Team USA in the Pan-Am U20 Championships. However, it was through the injuries that he overcame as a student-athlete that motivated him to pursue both medicine and business, as he strives to both care for patients directly and improve the system in which patients seek care. This led to his pursuit of an MBA before medical school.
While at Notre Dame, he participated in Business on the Frontlines and Frontlines in America, serving as a graduate student consultant on a team of five for the Olancho Aid Foundation (Honduras) and the Cary Comer Youth Center in Southside Chicago.
Nick has also volunteered 150 hours in the pediatrics unit at Memorial Hospital. He combined his passions for medicine and running by fundraising for healthcare organizations (Lurie Children’s Hospital in 2021 and the Organization for Autism Research) while training for the Chicago Marathon, raising over $4,000 individually.
Nick hopes to continue bringing thoughtful impact and change to the healthcare system in the US as he continues his journey and to contribute to global health through organizations like the Kwasans Foundation.