Interview with Edeline Beauvais Mondestin

Interview with Edeline Beauvais Mondestin, an influential advocate for Haitian rights in the United States who is especially known for her work on behalf of women, children, persons with disability, and the elderly. A Registered Nurse, Mondestin has also worked as a Social Services Administrator and as the Acting Chief of Miami Dade County Elderly, Disability and Veterans Services Bureau. She volunteers with Mercy Hospital’s Mobile Unit and the Borinquen Clinic that provides health care to underserved senior citizens in Little Haiti and Little Havana. She also created the Florida Association On HIV Over Fifty, (FLAHOF). In 2002, Mondestin successfully lobbied Miami-Dade County Mayor Alex Penelas to establish a Haitian Senior Center in Little Haiti, and she was successful in obtaining a $350,000 grant to start and maintain the program through the Miami-Dade County Department of Human Services. She has also advocated for the rights of immigrants on a national level with the Haitian Refugee Fairness Act, a law that gave residency to thousands of Haitians. In addition, she hosted the radio program ‘Travayè An Navan,” (Workers On The Move) advocating for better working conditions, pay, and insurance for workers. She also hosts two cable television programs, and she has written articles about women’s issues, nutrition, Alzheimer’s, drug abuse, AIDS and the elderly.