Within minutes, they filled her hair with brightly colored barrettes, like a crown of confetti decorating her little head. Patricia was only three when she came into our care, but her short life had already been filled with immense pain.

At last, this little girl could breathe a sigh of relief. She was in a safe place. Patricia would have a warm meal to eat, a soft bed to sleep in, and friends to play with. She would receive an education, too — ensuring that her future could be different than her past.

We found Patricia and her little brother Ashley at the Sisters of Charity Children’s Hospital. The children were severely malnourished and on the brink of death. And though their mom was still alive, the grips of poverty meant that she could not provide her most prized possessions with necessities like food and safe shelter. The nuns at the hospital nursed the two children back to health, but they needed to find Patricia and Ashley a more permanent home. That’s when they called us.

When Patricia and Ashley’s mom visited Harmony House she sobbed tears of relief. There is no greater pain than to be separated from your children, but for the first time, she knew that her daughter and son would be alright.

Today, Patricia is thriving at Harmony House. She plays with her friends, attends school, and is surrounded by loving and supportive adults who are cheering her on each step of the way. Her little brother who is still in the care of the attentive nuns at Sisters of Charity Children’s Hospital will be joining us in a few months on his second birthday. While our ultimate goal is to reunite Patricia and Ashley with their birth mom, we are grateful to be able to provide a safe and nurturing landing pad for these precious children.

You wouldn’t guess by looking at the two happy, healthy sisters running through our halls today, that just three years ago these girls were in desperate condition.

Dailove and Deaunie arrived at Harmony House three years ago. After some neighbors in her community found her lifeless in a field, Dailove was carried to a hospital while the staff at Harmony House worked to find her family. It was discovered that her mother was severely mentally ill and could not care for Dailove or her sister Daeunie, so both girls were signed over to our care.

Today, the two sisters are a picture of resilience and strength. We are so proud of how far they have come and look forward to seeing these two girls continue to thrive and grow.

But she saw no path forward.

University is expensive and for most students in Haiti, a college education is not feasible. That all changed when Sandra received our scholarship.

“I had no hope of going to a university, but God sent this grant on [my way] to help me.”

Today, Sandra is re-writing her future and realizing her childhood dream one day at a time. Progressing strong in nursing school, Sandra is on her way to becoming a registered nurse, with the goal of eventually pursuing her master’s in nursing science.

“My dream… is to become a qualified nurse nationally and internationally and serve everywhere I go, especially in my home province, Petite-Riviere de Nippes.”

We could not be more proud of Sandra. We know that she will make an awesome impact wherever she goes.