The hospital was in chaos. The 2010 earthquake had just leveled much of Port-au-Prince, burying thousands under the rubble. Those who survived were rushed to the city’s General Hospital, where the staff struggled to treat the multitude of broken bodies and crushed limbs. Amidst this horror, several children—children with disabilities whose parents, unable to care for them, had surrendered them at the hospital prior to the quake—were left to fend for themselves.
A few days later, Loune Viaud and Nancy Dorsinville of Zanmi Lasante, the Haitian sister organization of the renowned, Boston-based organization Partners In Health, arrived at the hospital to help with the emergency response. There they found the children alone in their ward, hungry and afraid. Loune and Nancy knew that they had to get them out of the hospital, fast. They immediately began work to establish a permanent home for the children, partnering with Operation Blessings to convert an estate outside of Port-au-Prince into a suitable residence for children with disabilities.
Since 2010, the community at Zanmi Beni has grown to include 64 orphaned and displaced children as well as a large, caring staff, affectionately known as “Mamas” and “Papas.” Zanmi Beni is not a temporary home; these children do not have family members who will eventually come to fetch them, nor will they be placed for adoption. Their surname is “Beni,” which means “blessed” in Haitian Creole, and they will always be family. Zanmi Beni (“blessed friends”) will always be their home.
The Miami-based organization Friends of Zanmi Beni works to support, sustain and expand the home. We strive to ensure that the children have a safe and happy place to live, as well as access to education, medical care, and opportunities for growth and enrichment.
The Zanmi Beni Spring Fair, Friends of Zanmi Beni’s sixth annual fundraiser, will take place this year on April 15 at Temple Beth Am. We hope you’ll join us a day of games, food, crafts, and prizes, all in support of the children.
If you’d like to learn more about Zanmi Beni, we invite you to visit our website at <www.friendsofzb.org>. There are many ways to get involved with ZB, including our “friending” program. Many families, schools, churches and other groups throughout Miami and beyond have formed unique, one-on-one relationships with a little boy or girl at Zanmi Beni by “friending” one of the children.
And we hope that you’ll join us for the Spring Fair on April 15 from 1:00-5:00 p.m. at Temple Beth Am! We would love to count you and your family among the friends of Zanmi Beni.
