Shortly after a devastating 7.0 earthquake hit Haiti on Jan. 12, 2010, tens of thousands of children were left homeless, abandoned or without family.
In Croix-des-Bouquets, Pastor Duckens Janvier, and his wife, Madame Deslourdes, opened their home and their hearts to 40 orphaned and homeless children. Duckens and Delourdes are Mami and Papi to these children, who live with the Janviers and the couple's three biological children on less than half an acre of land.
By chance, Brattleboro resident Mariam Diallo met Duckens during a visit to Haiti six months after the earthquake and witnessed firsthand the pastor and his family's remarkable work, as well as the extraordinary unmet needs of these children.
Learning from Duckens that “the lack of capital and the extreme poverty” in his community made it impossible for him to continue his work, Diallo spearheaded a fundraising campaign in Brattleboro to help provide food, medicine, education, and other essentials for these children.
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