About

Daniel Tillias, founder of Makaya Wa, has more than 20 years experience as a translator, “fixer,” and development consultant in Haiti. He is also a 2019 CNN Hero for his work as leader of the highly regarded SAKALA community center in Cité Soleil (home to Haiti’s largest urban garden), so he knows Haiti’s nonprofit sector from all sides and has been all over the world looking for ideas for his beloved home country. He is fluent in English, French and Haitian Creole.  One of Daniel’s mottos is “Be the change you wish to see in the world.”  Daniel will not only help you tell your story, he will inspire you with his own.

   Nancy Young is a journalist and grant writer. She first came to Haiti in 2009 as a  journalist with The Virginian-Pilot newspaper in Norfolk, VA and — seeing the beauty of Haiti and its people — knew pretty much instantly that she couldn’t stand to leave.  In 2010,  a few months after the earthquake, she came to SAKALA for the first time, where she is now a board member. She has been a writer, editor, and journalist for more than 20 years and is a member of the Grant Professionals Association . She is a graduate of Cornell University and has a master’s in writing from the University of New Hampshire.

Billy Elve Pinera, Certified Legal Translator

Kev Todt Royer, Graphics Artist and Translator