My Story

Vekenlove is one of three brothers whose lives were upended in the summer of 2017 when their mother, struggling with mental illness—a common challenge in Haiti—abandoned them. Left to wander the streets with no support, their father had also disappeared, with no one knowing where he had gone. A compassionate neighbor took the boys in and reached out to us for help. Today, Vekenlove and his brothers are safe and cherished in the loving care of Fenelon Jean Joseph and Mariana Hilaire at ARISE Children’s Village, where they finally have a place to call home.