My Story

Gilberson 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 fend for themselves on the streets, their father had also disappeared, and no one knows where he went. ​A compassionate neighbor took Gilberson and his brothers in and reached out to us for help. Today, Gilberson is safe and loved, living under the care of Fenelon Jean Joseph and Mariana Hilaire at ARISE Children’s Village, where he finally has the stability and family every child deserves.