The Members

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Founding Members

Sandrine Budestschu

President and Treasurer

Based in Tours, France, Sandrine has been a webdesigner/integrator for a Parisian web agency for the last 20 years. A travel enthusiast, she lived in San Francisco for 10 years, from 1989 to 1999. Back in France, she adopted her daughter Luna in Haiti in 2009 and developed a strong attachment to her daughter’s country. Curious about new horizons and new cultures, Sandrine and Luna left for a world tour from September 2016 to June 2017, a trip during which they stopped in Haiti and saw Massé and Miracle again. This step was the genesis of the Association Timoun Haiti.

Ivana Milovanovic

Secretary & co-founder

Ivana, originally from Serbia and living in Paris, has a passion for travel and books. She has a degree in tourism and a diploma in library science. She is in love with Africa, the Caribbean and Latin America. Her travels have led her to work with people, especially children, in need. Ivana adopted her daughter Aleksandra, born in Ethiopia in 2007. Eager to help, she wishes to invest herself completely in the Association Timoun Haiti.

Séverine Parizot-Bertault

Co-founder

Based in Paris, Séverine has a background in education – from literacy to French as a Foreign Language for adult refugees – at the Conservatoire National Arts et Métiers until 2015. Now in the teaching of foreign languages and civilizations, open-mindedness, respect for others and communication while traveling are close to her heart. She is grateful for the public education she and her children received in Europe. Alerted and moved by the difficulties of the children in Haiti, she joins forces with the Association Timoun Haiti to raise funds, convince people to support the association on a regular basis and help create sustainable partnerships.

Luna Budestschu

Co-founder

Born in 2005 in Haiti, Luna arrived in France at the age of 4. In 2017, she traveled around the world with her mom, a trip during which she returned to Haiti for the first time and reunited with her biological parents. She is impressed by the school her haïtian parents created and proud to see all these children receiving an education. However, as she went to the École Mixte la Modestie every morning, she realized how complicated the daily life was there, with so few resources. This is why she decided to accompany her mother in the project of this association. Today, she is in charge of raising funds through cake sales at her high school.

Honorary Members

Shelley Gage

Shelley is a high school French teacher in Los Gatos, California, and has been Sandrine’s friend for over 30 years. She is also Luna’s godmother.
Since 2018, she has been involved in supporting and assisting L’Ecole Mixte La Modestie each school year through fundraising and sending school supplies.
Shelley’s work in raising awareness at her school and among her students is remarkable and the results are there every year.

More info: Our actions

Stéphane Blanchard

A painter based in Nice, Stéphane lived for several years in San Francisco, where he and Sandrine met. A long-time friend, Stéphane has always generously responded to Sandrine’s fundraising efforts over the years. He has also twice offered to donate the proceeds from the sale of one of his works to help Luna’s family. Discover his work: https://fr.s-blanchard.com/

Pierre Budestschu

Painter and graphic designer, Pierre is Sandrine’s brother. He is the author of the association’s logo. He has always been involved with Sandrine and Luna to help spread the online fundraising among his network, and he also participates generously in supporting the family and the school. Discover his graphic designer’s work: https://www.voyou.fr/ Discover his paintings: https://pierrebudestschu.com/

A Word from the Board

Soon accomplished schoolchildren, thanks to you!

Today the children of Cabaret, Haiti, are in an extremely precarious situation. The political context and the climatic disasters in the region deprive them of teachers, a solid building, access to toilets and an operating budget to rely on.

WE want to help – YOU can help: Contribute!

With the TIMOUN HAITI ASSOCIATION, all the tools are in place to support you in your approach.
You can contribute by making a one-time donation, or even better, you can invest in the long term by making a monthly donation (even if only a small one), which will enable us to have a better visibility on our budget and to anticipate the payment of salaries and meals.

It is said that “small streams create big rivers“.
Every donation, no matter how small, every action, no matter how big, every minute of your time, will contribute to a visible and tangible result, to improve the lives of children and give them a better future.

We need you to accompany us in our project.

Thank you ♥

Sandrine Budestschu
Ivana Milovanovic
Séverine Parizot-Bertault
Luna Budestschu

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