The Man for the Job: Miguel Vasquez

BHI’s Senior Site Supervisor, Miguel Vasquez approaches each day of his work — leading construction teams in Haiti — with quality, love, focus, and passion.

Miguel (center) gathers with several of the construction staff he works with in Haiti.

As a father of a son born prematurely, Miguel Vasquez acutely understands the vital importance of access to high-quality healthcare for children regardless of where they were born. Miguel took his newborn son to physical therapy for two months after he was born, an experience he thinks of often during his work supervising construction of healthcare infrastructure in Haiti for BHI.

Miguel is a Senior Site Supervisor and has been with BHI for nearly five years. Originally from the Dominican Republic, Miguel is now based in Haiti, charged with the task of overseeing the construction of various projects across the island. In Haiti, this is not an easy job. The political and geographical landscape, along with serious resource shortages, makes even the simplest tasks of procurement and building quite challenging. Pair that with the high quality of work, attention to detail, and timeliness standards BHI holds itself to, and Miguel is the man for the job.

Despite the many obstacles that come with building in Haiti, Miguel speaks of his work with affection and enthusiasm. He notes, “We build with quality, love, focus, and passion in all different situations.” His favorite project that he’s worked on was the Medical Center for Danita’s Children, a nonprofit focused on providing a nurturing home environment for vulnerable children and families in the Southern village of Ouanaminthe. It was the first surgical room in the area with modern technology and a well-built infrastructure with attention to details. The Center serves 8,000+ patients annually from all around the region.

Miguel and his team have worked on several projects with Danita’s Children over the years. Pictured above is the renovated Children’s Operating Room, completed in September 2018.

Through this project, Miguel was able to connect with the children living at the orphanage on-campus and see the direct impact of his team’s work on their lives. Given his own experience with his son, Miguel especially empathized with the patients and families that attended the surgical room.

In reflecting on the impact of his work, Miguel shares, “When I see our BHI team, I see determination, passion, and hard work. They saw my potential, so I hire different Haitian laborers when I see their potential. We build job opportunities. Besides building hospitals, we build people.”

This spirit of growth is woven into BHI’s plan for Miguel’s team’s future. With construction on over eight projects in Haiti underway and several more in planning stages, Miguel’s positive impact is just beginning.

Cecilia Needham is a Development and Communications Intern at Build Health International. She is a rising senior at Middlebury College pursuing a passion for global health equity and healthcare as a human right.