After the orphanage opened in February 2000, John Gallini, a parishioner from St. Edward's  Catholic Church in Richmond, VA, asked Jean Louis to write a reflection letter speaking about the inspiration for his work. In July 2000 Jean Louis wrote this essay and it was published in St. Edward's weekly bulletin. When this letter was written the orphanage had only 16 children. It has been added here to offer perspective on a very personal and heart-felt decision made by an extraordinary young man who continues to sacrifice a great deal to make the lives of some of his countrymen (countrychildren) better. He is an inspiration for all of us who have faced tremendous adversity and for all the poor people in the world who may what to give up.

    My name is Lefort Jean Louis. I was born in a small village near St. Michel in Haiti. I am a graduate of Virginia Tech. The Diocese of Richmond and St. Mary's Catholic Church in Blacksburg, Virginia, sponsored my studies at Tech. In February 2000, I founded an orphanage, which now has sixteen children. The orphanage is located in Hinche, the capital city of the Haiti's Central Plateau. I would like to talk about myself and what led me to start an orphanage.

    I grew up in rural Haiti. My father was a poor gardener and my parents separated when I was four years old. They had six children, but three of them died during infancy. The three of us who survived stayed with my father. My father is the greatest man I have ever known. When my mother was with us, things were better, but after she left, my father had to do everything to take care of us. He fed us and took us to the doctor when we were sick. Even so, my brother died when he was twelve years old because he was anemic and my father could not afford medication for him. Only my sister and I were left. We lived in a shack covered with straw and walls made of wood strips and mud, which at this time, was common in the countryside.

    One day, my father decided either my sister or myself should go to school. He could not afford to send both of us to school, and it was decided that my sister would stay home. It is quite common in Haiti for the girls to stay home when parents cannot send all the children to school. Finally, I went to school with my uniform, notebook, and pencil.

    My father worked hard but he was not good at business. He could not even count money and people always took advantage of him. My father worked everyday in two gardens. He would wake up at five in the morning and go to someone's garden to work for three hours. He received 3-5 gourdes each day (5 gourdes is about 25 cents U.S.). Before he went to his own little garden, he brought the money to us so we could buy something to cook. We usually had one poor meal per day, which we ate at the end of the day so that we did not go to bed with an empty stomach. Sometimes, my father was invited to be a crew worker on a komibt - a group of men who work on a farm for half a day, and in return, receive a big meal. My father never ate at the farm. In fact, he left before the meal was ready so that they would bring hi the food at home. That way we could all share the food. This would be our only meal for the day but it was more than usual and we were grateful.

    Ten years later, my mother came back and took my sister while my father was at work. She lived so far away from us that my father could do nothing to get her back. I refused to go because I was angry with her for what she had done to my father.

    After my sister left, I was the only child at home and I had to prepare the meal and do all the chores. First I went to school hungry, walking two hours to school and two hours back home. Sometimes I took a piece of sugar cane for my breakfast and lunch. School started at 8:00 am and finished at 4:00 pm. This continued for eleven years until I was twenty years old. I was five years older than most of my classmates. After my fourth year of secondary school (in Haiti, secondary school is usually seven or eight years), I had to leave my native zone and find another place to continue with school because the school in St. Michel did not offer the last four years. Leaving my hometown would have been absolutely impossible if my sister had not married a man who lived in Hinche. They owned a little shelter with palm strips and a thatched roof. I figured at least if I went there, I would not have to pay for rent or food. Finally, after the fourth year of secondary school I went to Hinche to continue with school. My situation was nearly the same except I could go to school most of the time without a uniform. I had no friends and my classmates made fun of me because I was "the poor boy from the country." They made fun of me because of the way I dressed, the way I looked, and because I was not from the city. My sister and her husband had to go to the countryside outside of Hinche for months at a time to work and feed themselves and their children because they were starving and could find nothing in the city. During these times I was alone and my father could not help and I missed him dearly. Sometimes when I came back from school I would walk two or three hours to find my sister, thinking maybe we could share a meal. Sometimes she found something for us, but often it was a wasted trip for me. But just seeing each other brought a lot of comfort and made us feel relieved.

    I had two more years until I was finished with secondary school when I received a letter fro my father. The letter said, "jean Louis, my dear son, your Dad is exhausted. I don't see how I am going to continue doing this. I can't work anymore especially because school is much more expensive in the advanced classes. Here is a little money, just enough to rent books. I am not going to be able to find anymore. I want you to think about it and make a decision. I would love for you to finish school, but I am sorry I can't do anything else." I did not know what to do or how to respond. I loved school. My teachers and the principal at school loved me, even though my classmates did not like me. I decided to go to school anyway. I rented books, but they were the only things I could afford. I had no money for a uniform or tuition. When I was in school I could hardly listen to the teachers. I was thinking and wondering what I was going to do. Finally, I thought I was going to fail and get kicked out of school.

    In October of that same year I had met a couple of Xaverian Brother - Brother Cosmas Rubencamp and Brother Matthew Burke - when they came to visit my school. At this time I could speak a little English so I wanted to try my English on them. Brother Matthew's first question was, "Why are you not wearing your uniform like everyone else? Are you a trouble-maker?" I was honest and told him the truth. I told him why I was not wearing a uniform and that I might get kicked out of school because I could not pay for tuition. He replied, "I think you are one of the smartest students in this school. Why don't you go talk to the principal and explain your situation to him? Perhaps the two of you can arrange something." I responded by saying that I didn't think it was worth it because I knew he would not agree to anything. Brothers Cosmas and Matthew left and things continued until I was almost ready to quit school.

    In mid-December, while I was in class leaning against one of the benches, not being able to even listen to the teacher, I heard someone calling me. It was Sister Cora Billings, a black American sister. She asked me if I had met Brother Matthew. I told her yes and asked me if I had paid my tuition yet. I said no and she said that Brother Matthew wanted to help me with school. She gave me money for everything I needed.

    That was the beginning of a new life. My life changed since I met the Xaverian Brothers. I went to the States to study after secondary school and this was something I would have never dreamed of. Before I went to the States, I studied English with Brother Harry Eccles, Brother John Mahoney, and the late David Goy, a layman and volunteer who loved Haiti so much that he asked for his remains to be buried in Haiti (he fell victim to cancer). In the States, I studied agricultural technology ( a two year Associate's degree). I chose to study agriculture because I wanted to follow my father who was so attached to the land all his life. Everything he ever did for me came form the land. But when I came back to Haiti, I found that my education would not help me get a job, but I think I have followed my father in  a different way.

    As I mentioned, I started an orphanage named Maison Fortunè Orphanage. Fortunè is the name of my father and it is also the name I chose when I was confirmed a Catholic. I thought about the orphanage for  along time before it began, but I felt helpless. I was pushed to start it quickly one day when I was going to Pandiassou to visit the Xaverian Brothers and I saw a family with seven children and one extra child whose father and mother had died. They were living in terrible, miserable conditions that reminded me of the conditions I had lived in as a child. It was all too familiar. The shack was the same; it projects you from the sun but not the rain. The kids were there alone and looked like they were ready to die, especially the true orphan. I acted quickly and took four boys. I could not take any girls because of lack of space. The girls are still waiting for me to come and take them. They call me "Daddy" each time I visit. They say, "Pappy, when are you coming to get us." But I am leaving the girls as a future project.

P.S. My mother and father are now back together an married. When I came back from the States, I tried to get them back together. I told them I wanted to help them but it would be easier if they were together. They agreed to my proposal. Additionally, I am helping my sister and two half sisters with their children, and my half brother. I think they are all happy. I know I am!

    What a blessing! How did it all happen? Like many other people that I know, I could have just dropped out of school, but I succeeded. For this I thank God, my father, and all the others, who in one way or another, contributed to my miraculous success. I could be living the way my father did, scraping nothing from the land, but my life is infinitely better materially and I have the opportunity to share the gifts of the spirit my father gave me with others.
(rough draft printed Friday, April 27, 2001)