Haitian-born Salesian Past Pupils Alumni Leader Strengthens Links with Salesians and Rotarians During Kigali Visit

KIGALI, Rwanda — Jean Alfred, a Haitian-born Salesian Past Pupils alumnus and Rotarian based in New York, visited the Salesian Provincial House in Kigali, where he held discussions with members of the Salesian Planning and Development Office, Salesian community and explored opportunities for collaboration in youth development, professional networking and service to communities in need.

Present at the Meeting were Mr. Dominique Uwarugira, Project Officer in the Planning and Development Office, at the Salesian Provincial House. Two Salesian Cooperators from Uganda were also present during the meeting with the Rotarian Team.

Alfred explained that his visit to Kigali had two main purposes: to meet with members of the Rotary community from Kampala and to connect with the Salesian community in Rwanda.

The two Salesian Cooperators from Uganda had travelled to meet Alfred in Kigali. According to Alfred, he has been working with a hospital in the Kasana-Luweero region of Uganda through his organization, Stand Up to Poverty, supporting medical interventions aimed at assisting vulnerable communities.

As part of this collaboration, Alfred said that more than 30 doctors and nurses travelled to Uganda in March for a medical mission to provide healthcare services to people in the region.

Strengthening Salesian connections

Alfred’s visit also reflected his longstanding connection with the Salesian family. As a former pupil of the Salesians and President of the Haitian Salesian Alumni Association in New York, he considers it a responsibility to maintain links with Salesian communities wherever he travels.

“It’s a duty for me everywhere I go to meet with the Salesians and discuss with them,” Alfred explained.

He also highlighted the importance of building professional networks with Salesians in Rwanda, particularly as he and his partners explore the establishment of businesses in the Kigali region.

Rather than working exclusively with unfamiliar partners, Alfred said he sees value in connecting with Salesian professionals who understand the community and share similar values.

“Service Above Self”

For Alfred, his commitment to service is rooted both in his Salesian background and his involvement in Rotary.

“As Rotarians, our motto is ‘Service Above Self.’

He explained that service has been an important part of his life since his formation in the Salesian centre.

“Becoming a Rotarian just makes it a little bit more than what it was because Salesians only do one thing: serving people, especially the youth,” he said.

His experience reflects the shared emphasis placed by both the Salesian and Rotary movements on responding to the needs of communities, supporting vulnerable people and creating opportunities for young people.

Commitment to fighting poverty

Alfred is originally from Haiti and currently lives in New York City, United States. He leads Stand Up to Poverty, an organization focused on contributing to efforts to eradicate poverty around the world.

His visit to Rwanda therefore provided an opportunity not only to reconnect with the Salesian family but also to explore potential partnerships and networks that could contribute to development initiatives in Rwanda and the wider region.

The meeting at the Salesian Provincial House brought together different dimensions of Alfred’s work — his Salesian roots, his commitment as a Rotarian, his humanitarian activities and his interest in developing professional and business networks.

For the Salesian community, such encounters offer opportunities to strengthen international relationships and identify new avenues for collaboration in responding to the needs of young people and communities.