Dafney Lavache

About Dafney

Dafney Lavache was born in Haiti and work with the Haitian Association of Indiana. She wears several hats on the behalf of the Haitian community. She is a Community Outreach Coordinator for a Staffing Agency, Director of Community Engagement for the (HAI) Haitian Association of Indiana, and a Natural Helper with Immigrant Welcome Center. Dafney is heavily connected and deeply engaged with the Haitian community, especially the Undocumented community, providing aid, assistance, and resources.

Dafney lived in Haiti until she was twelve years old, then she moved to Brooklyn, New York. There she attended elementary school, junior high, and half of her high school years. In 2009 she moved to Indianapolis where she finished her last year of high school. Right after graduation, Dafney got a job in childcare. While holding a full-time position, she went to Ivy Tech to earn her Early Childhood Associate's degree. She has worked in the Childcare field for over fifteen years. During those fifteen years, Dafney found the love of helping not only young children but adults as well. Pursuing this passion led her to getting involved with Haitian Association of Indiana.

She began community service back in 2013 with HAI. It started with just Dafney as a Haitian cultural dance instructor with all different ages, and it has developed so that Dafney is now widely recognized as the primary voice and community worker in the the Haitian community. In 2022 she won the Mayor’s Community Service Award. She has also been recognized in many other ways for her work among Haitians and other resettled communities.

Dafney often thinks of her favorite quote:

“My community service is a way for me to pay rent for living on the earth.”