My Story

Peterson’s early life was marked by chaos and abandonment. Born in Petit-Goâve to a mother who suffered from mental illness and wandered the streets, he came into the world as a result of a tragic violation—his father refusing to acknowledge or support him. His grandmother tried to care for him, but survival came first. Each day, she left for the market, leaving Peterson on the streets to fend for himself. By age six, he had never completed a full year of school. He was raising himself, unnoticed and unprotected. In October 2016, just after Hurricane Matthew, while assessing homes in the community, we found Peterson. Vulnerable and forgotten, he was brought to ARISE Children’s Village, where for the first time, he received the care, stability, and education every child deserves. Today, Peterson is no longer lost in the crowd—he’s known, loved, and growing into who he was always meant to be.