He Calls Me 'Mama'

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti - Her name is Marie, but to young Davidson she is simply, “Mama.”

“I feel exactly the same way I would as if I had him as my biological child. When he comes up to me and hugs me, I feel as if he is my first son,” Marie said.

Marie, 24, has no biological children. But her nurturing care of Davidson, who is one of 48 orphans and special needs children at Zanmi Beni, has earned her the title of mother—and the attachment between them is undeniable.

“Davidson always shows me special attention. In the mornings when I arrive to work, he starts running to me from the moment I walk through the gate.”

But it was a much different story five months ago.

Unlike most healthy 2 ½-year-old boys who can walk and talk, Davidson arrived to Zanmi Beni malnourished and unable to do either.  

He and the other children had been living in poor, cramped conditions at the General Hospital, and when the quake hit, they had no home and no one to care for them.

Operation Blessing purchased the property that is now Zanmi Beni, and which is staffed and operated by Partners in Health. In April of last year, the children moved into their new home and soon after, their healing transformations began.

“Since being here they are a lot brighter, a lot happier,” Marie said. “Many of the children were depressed and shy. But now they are more open, more carefree. When I first started to work with Davidson, he was not able to walk or feed himself, but now he walks strongly…it’s been a tremendous effort.”

The key to this success, according to Marie, is to treat each child as if they were their own—make them feel like they are at home.

But Zanmi Beni is much more than a home—it’s an oasis of healing for children who were in desperate need of loving care and attention. 

Here, the children receive nutritious meals, have structured class time and activities under a grove of mango trees, read books from the library on the grounds, have physical therapy sessions, and enjoy an occasional dip in a crystal-clear swimming pool.

And it’s not just the children who are benefiting from this special place.

“I am very happy that Davidson is a part of my life, because I don’t know what it would be like if he wasn’t,” Marie said. “I am very proud to serve as a mother to not only Davidson but all of the children.”

“On behalf of everyone here—the staff and children—thank you to Operation Blessing for the work they have done and are doing here,” she continued. “The finance and aid OBI gave not only helps the people who are unemployed have jobs, but it also helps these children who were very ill to come and live a normal and happier life.”

HOW YOU CAN HELP: Be a part of Operation Blessing's efforts to transform the lives of children and adults in Haiti, please make an online contribution and help us continue to reach those in need.