When my daughter was in eighth grade, she and her Girl Scout troop were beginning to explore ideas for their individual Silver Award projects.
Around our dinner table, we tossed around possibilities. Nothing landed. Nothing stirred real interest. So we encouraged her to do what we have always trusted. Stay open. Listen. Pay attention to what people are talking about in the world.
Often, the idea that will matter most arrives sideways.
That moment came when we listened to Ahaji Schreffler speak about her experience volunteering in Haiti after the 2010 earthquake. She told the story of meeting Gabriel and the children of Love Orphanage.
Gabriel, who is Haitian, had been working as a translator in Miami, bringing volunteer groups to Haiti. In the aftermath, he returned to check on his family. What he encountered broke his heart and changed the course of his life.
Countless children were orphaned, hungry, and traumatized.
So Gabriel stayed and opened Love Orphanage with almost nothing. One room and three malnourished children.
After Ahaji’s presentation, my daughter asked if we could speak with her. While she wanted to learn more, there was one question she couldn’t shake. She asked how the children were doing in school.
Ahaji paused and gently explained that none of the children had ever been to school.
I will never forget the look on my daughter’s face as she turned toward me, eyes wide, silently asking if that could really be true.
It was a moment of lost innocence, one of many in a lifetime. When the realization that what you assumed was “normal” is not universal. That access to education, something she took for granted, is a privilege many children never receive.
On the drive home, she asked a simple question. “Mom, do you think it would be possible to send these kids to school?”
That question became her Girl Scout Silver Award project and the beginning of what is now the Be a Difference Maker education program.
That first year, every eligible child at Love Orphanage was enrolled in private school. They received uniforms, backpacks, books, and sneakers. A small library was created in the home, complete with art supplies and space for creative expression.
In the years that followed, her Girl Scout Gold Award project expanded the original vision.
Not only did the Be a Difference Maker program support sustainable education, it also funded four summers of Culture Camp experiences and planted the early seeds for vocational training.
Our entire family and all the Difference Makers who traveled to Love Orphanage for Culture Camp witnessed the impact first hand. We all were irrevocably changed.
Fast forward to today.
According to We The Village’s 2025 Annual Summary, this year marks the thirteenth consecutive year that every child at Love Orphanage has had access to private education through the Be a Difference Maker program. All thanks to the generosity of so many Difference Makers.
That fact alone is extraordinary in a country where most families cannot afford school, where poverty is widespread, and most people live on just a few dollars a day amid ongoing civil unrest.
Today, there are nineteen children at Love Orphanage.
They are healthy, healed from trauma and malnutrition, and fully capable of love, joy, play, and connection.
And they have grown up knowing something essential – that Gabriel, Rodeline, and the Haitian volunteers love them and consistently work so that they may live well.
In conversation with Ahaji and my daughter, it became clear that the long-term sustainability of the children’s education depended upon committed educational sponsorship through the Be a Difference Maker program.
Our family knows this firsthand.
We have had the quiet joy of sponsoring children through Love Orphanage over the years. Whether a special memorial or our monthly contributions, we recognize something wonderful is happening across the ocean.
Children in green school uniforms are safely seated at desks, learning, growing, and being given a chance at a future that includes independence and meaningful work.
It is remarkably simple to make this happen. And I really hope you consider this.
For us, this decision is easy. We have participated in every aspect of the program over the years, including the time spent in Haiti with Gabriel and the children. Those experiences brought a richness to our lives that has stayed with us and continues to keep us connected to this beautiful extended family.
Most of you do not know Gabriel, whom I affectionately call the Angel Gabriel for his extraordinary heart and commitment. You have not stood in the courtyard with these children or watched them laugh and play.
If you visit the Be a Difference Maker page and view the Culture Camp slideshows, you will see something important.
You will see healthy, vibrant, joyful children. Ordinary children living a life very different from most children in the United States. They are thriving because people chose to care about them.
Today, we are looking for 14 Difference Makers (people) to sponsor a child’s education for one year.
There are two ways to do this: A monthly automatic contribution of $30, or a one-time donation of $350, which covers private school tuition, uniforms, shoes, and books for the year.
This support also helps sustain vocational training for the older children who have graduated from high school.
14 people. That is all it takes to sustain the Be a Difference Maker Educational Program for the year ahead.
All contributions are processed through We The Village, the nonprofit organization created by Ahaji Schreffler solely to support the children of Love Orphanage. Here is their mission: “We The Village uplifts the lives of children at Love Orphanage by supporting education, living essentials, and safe space for living and learning.”
Please note that I do not handle funds and do not have access to board decisions or contributor information.
If you feel moved to explore how you may assist, please visit the Be a Difference Maker page to watch the videos and set up your sponsorship.
Sometimes, the most meaningful change begins with a single, sincere question. “Mom, do you think it would be possible to send these kids to school?”
And sometimes, the answer is simple: “yes.”
Peace be with you and with all. No exceptions.
A key 2025 goal for We the Village was to expand health education for our adolescents. Here is the update: “We were thrilled to bring this vision to life. With the support of a Haitian nurse experienced in community health work in the Dominican Republic, we developed a series of engaging health education videos focused on sexual and reproductive health. These videos were thoughtfully designed to be age-appropriate, accessible, and culturally relevant. Our adolescents responded with enthusiasm, asking thoughtful questions and expressing interest in future topics that matter to them. We are proud to continue building on this work and plan to expand the project further in 2026.”
Learn the one essential skill that allows you to face any challenge with confidence, sturdiness, and inner calm.
More than a technique. It’s a game changer.
When standing at a crossroad in your life, it’s natural to seek answers. To search for certainty about your next steps. To want assurance that the decision you are making will lead you in the right direction, with the best possible outcome. Here’s where your mind jumps in.
There are conversations you may instinctively avoid. Death. Dying. The journey beyond are among them. The final exhale. The closing of the body. The long walk home. The next place of being. In many ancient traditions, this is not an ending, but a sacred passage—a birth into new realms of being. Yet here, in this fast-moving world, death often remains veiled in silence, wrapped in fear, and avoided in conversation.
There are conversations you may instinctively avoid. Death. Dying. The journey beyond are among them. The final exhale. The closing of the body. The long walk home. The next place of being. In many ancient traditions, this is not an ending, but a sacred passage—a birth into new realms of being. Yet here, in this fast-moving world, death often remains veiled in silence, wrapped in fear, and avoided in conversation.
I was playing the game “Headbands” with my dog the other day. Playing board games and interactive games like charades are good fun. Given my kid has flown the coop, we hoodwinked our dog to play a rousing game of Headbands with us. We even let Milo choose the first card, but he seemed to have a hard time guessing what his card said.
As you celebrated the Summer Solstice and the New Moon this past week, our beloved shamans who are South of the Equator were celebrating the Winter Solstice in Cusco, Peru. Inti Raymi, the Festival of the Sun, takes place on June 24th to commemorate the beginning of the Inca New Year and the Winter Solstice. Originating in the 15th century by Emperor Pachakuti, Inti Raymi was created as major Inca festival to honor the sun god Inti.
These past months have been filled with confusion, anger, and fear for many in this country. Witnessing deportations without due process, assaults on the courts and universities, flip flopping tariffs, and military action have shaken the foundational sense of safety and justice for many Americans. I’ve been listening to you and engaging in many conversations about how to live in balance during these times.
