My Story

Vekenson is one of three brothers who faced unimaginable hardship when their mother, battling mental illness—a reality many families face in Haiti—abandoned them in the summer of 2017. Left alone to wander the streets, their father had also disappeared, with no one knowing where he had gone. A caring neighbor took the boys in and reached out to us for help. Today, Vekenson and his brothers are safe, loved, and nurtured by Fenelon Jean Joseph and Mariana Hilaire at ARISE Children’s Village, where they finally have a home and hope for the future.