In September of 1998 Hurricane Georges had just wreaked havoc on Haiti, leaving 167,332 homeless. Bon Berger Orphanage lost everything with 54 children losing home, food, and school. They were trying to stay alive in unbelievably subhuman conditions. Four year later Senator Mike DeWine of Ohio came to Haiti and visited the site observed the devastation, and recommended USAID/CENH grant funds to At Risk Children Foundation to do the reconstruction.


ARCF immediately brought hope to the children by rehabilitating dormitories, kitchen, and depot. It also obtained food donations from Catholic Relief Services and Food for the Poor. The United Methodist Committee on Relief” UMCOR” provided clothing; the local business community also donated goods such as linen and kitchen utensils. The children rejoiced in all this help from the ministrations of ARCF.


Dignitaries like Bill Richardson, US ambassador to the UN, Lesly Swing, US ambassador to Haiti and Susan Scatiaty of CNN visited to praise the work of ARCF, and admire the new spirit of the children.


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SCB in rural Haiti.

School

Despite the principal of free school in the National Constitution, Haitian families are subject to tuition fees since 80% of the schools are private. These expenses represent a huge expense for most Haitian families. Today, the average annual tuition fee is 500 dollars.
Continue reading “School”

Economy

Rural Haiti is filled with mothers and fathers who have high hopes that their children will have a better future that they didn’t have themselves.  Once such mom is Marie Dorzilma, who currently depends on ARCF’s Save Continue reading “Economy”

Community

Residence in Custine survives in Shacks-or-Mud Huts. These huts have no running water, electricity or sanitation. Their main water comes from the Massacre River, where livestock drink and relieve themselves, and nearly every water source has become contaminated Continue reading “Community”