About Us
COPART Haiti is the first and only registered arts-based cooperative in Haiti. We specialize in recycled art with a strong emphasis on solid waste management as a key component of environmental sustainability. We are an equitable collective dedicated to empowering artists across diverse sectors and skill levels.
Our Art Center
ARISE is a school-based environmental education program that helps young people turn waste into knowledge, creativity, and action. Through weekly, supervised classes, students learn about pollution, climate change, responsible consumption, waste sorting, safe material handling, and the circular economy. They then apply this knowledge in practical recycling workshops led by professional artists, transforming selected paper and plastic waste into useful objects and artworks.
ARISE strengthens environmental literacy, creativity, problem-solving, teamwork, and civic responsibility while helping schools improve waste practices. By engaging teachers, parents, artists, and local communities, the program builds lasting habits and supports cleaner, more resilient communities for everyone.
Meet the team behind COPART
Nehemie Samuel Merilien
Project Lead and CEO
Nehemie is the leader of ARISE and co-founder of COPART with 8+ years of experience managing projects and institutions. He is a Community Solutions Program Fellow representing Haiti in the U.S and a former Chevening Scholar (UK). He oversees overall project leadership, partnerships, and international outreach.
Robertho Paul
Art Director (Knowledge Management)
Professional artist with 10 years of experience in recycled art and ceramics. Trained at CASM, Haiti’s only professional-level art institution, he will design curriculum modules, develop teaching materials, and ensure the quality of student-produced artworks. He is an active member of COPART and a former student of Le Centre d’Art.
Ralph Darkens Losier
Artist
Co-founder, he creates original artworks from recovered materials and supports creative workshops that promote environmental awareness and artistic expression.
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Bernouneda Samedi
Communications Lead
Co-founder of COPART. She leads digital communications, storytelling and community engagement to promote ARISE and COPART’s environmental and social impact.
Lovely Bienvil
Finance Lead
Co-founder of COPART and a finance professional with 6 years of experience. She is a passionate of art and finance.
Youseline Bienvil
Art Director (Chief Operation Officer)
Co-founder of COPART and a professional artist from ENARTS, Haiti’s only academic fine arts faculty. She will lead the artistic direction of ARISE, supervising creative methodology and teaching delivery. She is also a former Le Centre d’Art student.
Jackson Hector
Pedagogy and Teaching Coordinator / President
Jean Emmanuel Wilson
Logistics Officer & HR Manager
Hector is a professional teacher with 8 years of experience and co-founder of COPART. With a two-year art diploma from CASM, he will ensure appropriate pedagogical methods, contribute to curriculum design, and support classroom delivery alongside the artistic team. He is also the actual president of the cooperative.
Co-founder of COPART. He coordinates materials, transportation, inventory and event logistics to ensure workshops and community activities run efficiently.
Redondo Samedy
Artist and Photographer
Jefson Leger
Artist Member
Combines visual art and photography to create impactful work and document the projects’ activities, participants and community outcomes. He is also co-founder.
Contributes to collaborative artworks and creative workshops, transforming recovered materials into educational and culturally meaningful pieces. He is also co-founder.
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Ralph Bissereth
Finance Assistant
Supports budgeting, expense tracking, financial documentation and reporting to strengthen transparency and responsible resource management. He is also co-founder.