The People Behind the Mission
Meet Our Founders
Lives poured out in faith, service, and love for the people of Haiti.
Lives poured out in faith, service, and love for the people of Haiti.
Photo — coming soon
A Haitian pastor, community builder, and man of unwavering faith who has dedicated his life to seeing the gospel transform his homeland.
Pastor Elysee Joseph was born and raised in Haiti, and he carries a deep love for his people that has never wavered — not through earthquakes, not through political upheaval, not through the darkest seasons this island nation has endured.
Having lived in the United States for many years, Pastor Elysee and his wife Yolette could have chosen comfort. Instead, they chose commitment. For decades, they have returned to Haiti again and again — sometimes for extended periods, often without compensation, always with great personal sacrifice — to plant churches, build communities, and train leaders.
Pastor Elysee's vision was always larger than a single congregation. He believed that if you train faithful pastors, you transform entire communities. If you educate one child, you change a family's trajectory. That conviction became the DNA of everything La Paix Foundation does today.
As the founding pastor of Eglise Evangelique de la Paix — the Evangelical Church of Peace — and the spiritual anchor of the Institut Théologique de la Grâce, Pastor Elysee continues to pour his life and ministry into Northern Haiti.
A tireless partner in faith and mission, Yolette Joseph's dedication has been the quiet, steadfast force behind the foundation's heart.
Behind every great ministry is a woman who believes in it with everything she has. For La Paix Foundation, that woman is Yolette Joseph.
Yolette has walked alongside her husband Pastor Elysee in every step of this journey — from the earliest days of church planting in Haiti, through the founding of the theological institute, and into the growth of the community school. Where the work has been hard, she has been harder. Where the need has been great, she has given more.
Her role has never been confined to a title. Yolette is a counselor, an organizer, an encourager, and a fierce advocate for the children and families that La Paix Foundation serves. She understands the Haitian community from the inside — because she comes from it — and that understanding shapes the way the foundation approaches every aspect of its work.
Together, Pastor Elysee and Yolette represent a lifetime of service freely given. Their legacy is measured not in titles or institutions, but in the lives they have touched across Northern Haiti.
Photo — coming soon
Photo — coming soon
The daughter of the founders, Loudrige Simon is leading La Paix Foundation into its next era — with vision, energy, and a deep commitment to those who need it most.
There is something powerful about a second generation that chooses the same calling as the first — not out of obligation, but out of genuine conviction. Loudrige Simon, the daughter of Pastor Elysee and Yolette Joseph, has stepped into the chairmanship of La Paix Foundation not to maintain the status quo, but to expand what's possible.
Loudrige brings a fresh strategic perspective to the foundation's work. She understands the digital age, the importance of transparency and accountability, and the need to communicate the reality on the ground in Haiti to a global audience that wants to help but needs to understand. She is reshaping the foundation's outreach, partnerships, and fundraising with that reality in mind.
At the same time, her commitment to the people being served has never been abstract. Loudrige knows what it means for a child in Cap-Haïtien to have a school to go to — and what it means when they don't. She knows the value of a trained pastor in a community where hopelessness runs deep.
Under her leadership, La Paix Foundation is not just maintaining its mission — it is reshaping it to benefit the most in need, with greater accountability, greater visibility, and greater impact.
"But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare."
— Jeremiah 29:7
The Joseph family gave everything. Now they're inviting you to give something — and together, to change lives in Haiti.
