Alicia spent almost the entirety of her short life under the loving care of the Zanmi Beni Family. Alicia had hydrocephalus, was blind and she could not communicate verbally but she was treasured by everyone at Zanmi Beni. We were heartbroken when she passed away peacefully in early September of 2019. A beautiful funeral mass was held at the chapel where the other children and staff celebrated her life. We continue to pray for Alicia, and we are blessed to have had her as part of our family.
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Anderson is 13 years old, and he came to Zanmi Beni with his grandmother, Zanmi Beni cook Madame Marie. Anderson is in grade 7, and is a hardworking and sweet boy. He is always pitching in to help others, and he enjoys his chores and playing soccer. Anderson is a responsible member of the Zanmi Beni family and a great role model for the younger children.
Andrecia has been at Zanmi Beni from the beginning. A long time patient of Zanmi Lasante she is hardworking, bright and kind. Andrecia shows great leadership potential, and she models this for her peers every day. She has many responsibilities from preparing the children for school and bedtime, to tutoring and dishwashing. Her eyesight has been declining over the years, and she traveled to Miami in 2018 to be treated by an ophthalmologist
Betty is a hardworking and diligent 12 year old who excels at cooking.. In the future Betty would like to attend culinary school and work in this field. In her spare time she enjoys playing basketball and board games.
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Carl is 11 years old and in the third grade. he loves school. power rangers, soccer and poutine. At age 4 Carl travelled to Canada to receive treatment at Montreal’s Shriners Hospital for Children. As a result Carl can now run, play dance and play soccer on his crutches. Carl is an excellent, and he would like to become a doctor like his surgeon Dr, Hamdy and his buddies Connor and Maggie.
Chrisley is 11 years and in the fourth grade. His favourite colour is blue and he enjoys music, dancing and playing soccer .Chrisley always has a big smile and a twinkle in his eye and is known for being kind.
Christoper is 10 years old and in the fourth grade. . He is happy to do his chores and can often be found sweeping and helping in the kitchen.. Christopher is an independent, rough and tumble boy who enjoys playing basketball and dominos.
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Claudia has physical and developmental disabilities and she is unable to communicate verbally. Since arriving at Zanmi Beni. Claudia has learned how to walk with assistance. Claudia’s joyful laughter is a constant.
David Moise
David Moise uses a wheelchair and has physical and developmental limitations. While he is unable to communicate verbally, David Moise enjoys receiving hugs and being in the company of his caregivers and the other children. He is a very sweet good natured boy.
Davidson is 13 years old and in the 6th grade. he enjoys school and playing soccer and his favourite colour is blue. Davidson loves all the Marvel superheroes, but his favourite one is Spiderman.
Dieuverson is 11 years old and in grade 4 and his favorite color is blue. Like most kids at Zanmi Beni he likes to play soccer especially when he gets to be the goaltender. He also likes to play jump rope with his friends. While Dieuverson found school challenging at first, he has tried very hard and now enjoys his studies.
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Dorestan is 18 years old and has physical and intellectual disabilities. Although he is not able to speak verbally he communicates quite well with sounds and gestures. Dorestan enjoys listening to music and the company of his caregivers and the other children. Every morning Dorestan insists on being parked beside the radio. He can be very particular about the music he listens to and is very vocal when he would like the station changed to a station he prefers more.
Esmane came to live at Zanmi Beni when his father, who worked at the center, died unexpectedly leaving him without parents. Esmane attends school and loves to read, draw and play basketball. He enjoys keeping in touch with visitors on Facebook.
Geraldine has physical and developmental disabilities and is non-verbal. She enjoys spending time with the other children..
Gilbert has physical and developmental disabilities and while he uses a wheelchair, he is learning to walk with assistance. He is very happy sitting outside under a tree with his friends.
Gisele is a 15 year old girl who has an engaging personality who likes to be involved in all Zanmi Beni activities. Gisele has both physical and verbal limitations, so she is home schooled. Her favourite colour is yellow and she enjoys playing basketball and dancing. She also loves shoes, jewelry and having her nails painted.
James is 12 years old and is in grade 6. He adores school and doing his homework. When he’s older, he would like to become a math teacher in an elementary school. In his spare time he likes to play soccer with his friends at Zanmi Beni. His favourite colours are yellow and apricot.
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Johanne and her siblings Esmane and Sheila lived at Zamni Beni when it opened until last year when they moved out to live independently. Johanne graduated from the culinary school and is currently employed with Pwasn Beni, the restaurant on the grounds of Zamni Beni.
Johny has epilepsy and is unable to communicate. He is very active and loves to run around the Zanmi Beni campus. He is learning to interact positively with his brothers and sisters.
Laurent is 12 years old and in grade 5. He loves math and wants to work in the business world when he grows up. He loves doing schoolwork, and playing jump rope and dominos. His favourite colour is red and he is an amazing dancer.
Lovely has physical and developmental disabilities and uses a wheelchair. While she is non-verbal, Lovely interacts with staff and the other children through gestures, facial expressions and her beautiful smile.
Lucie has physical and developmental disabilities and uses a wheelchair. While she is unable to communicate verbally, she often makes her views known through gestures, smiles and facial expressions. She enjoys being with the other children and meeting new visitors to Zanmi Beni.
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Marco is 11 years old and is in grade 4. He loves soccer and would like to become a professional goaltender when he grows up. His favourite food is rice and he loves dogs.
Marcus is 12 years old and is in grade 6. He loves to play soccer with his friends at Zanmi Beni. When he’s older, he would like to become a pilot, because he often looks at airplanes in the sky and imagines himself flying.
Marken has physical and developmental disabilities and does not communicate verbally. Staff and the children communicate with him through gestures. Marken uses a wheelchair.Alicia spent almost the entirety of her short life under the loving care of the Zanmi Beni Family.
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Martine has physical and development developmental disabilities. While Martine uses a wheelchair, she is also learning to walk with assistance. Martine enjoys being around the other children and she has a great sense of humor. She is always enthusiastic when she sees old friends and when she meets new ones.
Micha is the baby girl of the original cohort of children at Zanmi Beni. Cute as a button, Micha is vivacious, bright and a gifted soccer player. 11 years old, fourth grade student Micha is sometimes known as the “shoe box” baby. In 2010 she was left outside the gates of Zanmi Beni in, you guessed it, a shoe box. With her soccer skills, maybe she will get her name on the box of her own brand of soccer shoes. Oh, and her favourite food is all meat pizza.
Milly has physical and developmental disabilities and while she is unable to communicate verbally her caregivers say that she has the biggest heart at Zanmi. She enjoys being hugged and spending time with others.
Two-year-old Mishama came to Zanmi Beni in late 2018, after her mother became too ill to care for her. Mishama is bright animated and always seems to be in a terrific mood. She loves to follow all the comings and goings at Zanmi Beni, and she is always thrilled when her mom is well enough to visit with her.
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Poised, sophisticated and a talented artist, 18 year old Nephtalie in home schooled and loves to read. Her passion is being an artisan, and she now has her own shop on the Zanmi Beni Campus, Tatelye Beni Kay Nephtalie. Her shop employs 3 workers, and as her work becomes more known, sales of her jewelry and t-shirts will move on-line. Nephtalie Beni is an artist to keep your eye on; she will do great things.
11-year-old Nicole is in the fourth grade and her favourite colour is pink. She loves to sing, dance and perform on stage, and she is always curious to know what is happening around the campus. Nicole also enjoys arts and crafts and she would like to be a professional dancer when she grows up.
13 year old Ogeline is in the 6th grade and pink is her favorite color. A hardworking and dedicated student, Ogeline hasn’t decided whether she would like to be a doctor or a dentist when she grows up. Ogeline’s quiet, mature leadership skills are evident at home, school and on her competitive soccer team.Alicia spent almost the entirety of her short life under the loving care of the Zanmi Beni Family.
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Pascal has developmental and intellectual disabilities. He does not communicate verbally and uses a wheelchair. He is most comfortable reclining in bed.
Pascale is intellectually and physically disabled and is unable to communicate verbally. He does not engage with or respond to others. He uses a wheelchair and caregivers assist Pascal with all his daily living needs.
Patrick is known as the “Mayor” of Zanmi Beni. He has cerebral palsy and is deaf. While he is unable to communicate verbally, Patrick is very opinionated and makes his views known through gestures and some sign language which he has learned while at Zanmi Beni. Patrick participates in chores around the campus and enjoys helping in the various construction projects that have taken place. While Patrick originally used a wheelchair, he has learned to walk and run going through many pairs of sneakers every year. He has also become a whiz on the computer.
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Peter is 21 years old and graduated with top honours from high school in 2019. He applied and was accepted to medical school in a highly competitive process. He will begin his medical studies in the fall of 2019.
Peterson is 11 years old and is in grade 4. He is Steff’s best friend, and they like to play soccer and basketball together. His favourite color is blue.
Rene is 13 years old and in grade 7. He likes to play basketball with the other kids at Zanmi Beni. He enjoys school and his favorite subject is math. He hopes to be a math teacher one day. His favorite color is red.
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Rose Marie is a newcomer to Zanmi Beni. She is intellectually disabled and requires supports to address challenging behavioral issues. She loves music and will dance for hours on end.
Roudy was referred to Zanmi Beni by Haiti’s social services department in 2013. Developmentally delayed, it is unknown how long Roudy had been fending for himself on the streets of Port- Au -Prince. Since joining the family, Roudy has taken on responsibility for feeding and caring for Médor and the other dogs, and he is always cheerful and willing to help out others. Roudy is kind and protective of the younger children and always pleasant and sweet to be around.
Samuel is 10 years old and in grade 3. He loves to laugh and also to make others laugh. His favourite activity is drawing with his best friend Sébastien. When he grows up, Samuel wants to become a professional soccer player. His favourite colour is blue.
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Sandy is an outgoing girl, in spite of her inability to communicate verbally. She uses a wheelchair and has physical and intellectual disabilities as well as alopecia, a condition that prevents hair growth. Sandy loves attention and enjoys playing with others.
Sébastien is 11 years old and is in grade 5. He enjoys playing soccer especially with his best friend, Samuel. His favourite colour is pink.
Sherika is 14 years old and she is homeschooled. Although she is in a wheelchair and sometimes her speech can be difficult to understand, she is a favorite of staff and visitors alike. A girly girl, Sherika loves pink, nail polish, fancy shoes and cake. Her favorite activities are swimming and chatting with visitors.
Stanley is 21 years old. Since the bakery at Zanmi Beni was built, Stanley has shown a real love of baking. He woke up very early each day to bake bread not only for the children and staff but also enough for sale to the local community. His love of baking resulted in his pursuing formal training at culinary school from where he recently graduated. He is also a very warm and dedicated caregiver to the younger children.
12 year-old Steff is in grade 6 and he dreams of becoming a soccer superstar some day. He says that he runs very fast and likes to have his team win when they play for fun at Zanmi Beni. He also loves to play cards. Steff trains and plays with a competitive soccer team.
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Stephane is 12 years old and is in grade 6. He enjoys playing dominoes with the other kids at Zanmi Beni and his favourite colour is blue. He is a hard working student who enjoys school. He also trains and plays on a competitive soccer team.
Tommy is a sweet boy who has severe epilepsy, developmental disabilities, and uses a wheelchair. Caregivers help Tommy with all aspects of his life. He has an endearing smile and everyone loves him and looks out for him.
Wadley is an adorable boy who has developmental disabilities. He uses a wheelchair and is unable to communicate with words, but his eyes and infectious laugh says it all. He literally lights up a room drawing people to him.
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Wendy is 21 years old and, like Stanley, recently completed his studies at culinary school. Wendy enjoyed spending time at the Zanmi Beni bakery and canteen where he nurtured his interest in the hospitality industry. Wendy is also very handy with tools, and he has taught himself how to tinker with motorcycles and small appliances.
12-year-old Yveline is feisty and sensitive. She is a dedicated student and is now in the fifth grade. Yveline has been a great strength to new family member Rosemercie, and she has really blossomed with this new responsibility. She enjoys playing games and her favourite colour is blue.