Children born into poverty suffer hunger, instability, and often don't go to school. Help us provide food, housing, and an education for children in Haiti so they can break themselves out of poverty. Together, we can help build sustainable, long-term solutions for children in the Haitian community.
The Vertile Foundation is a magical refuse situated in the midst of a seemingly frenetic and bustling urban neighborhood of Carrefour. There, kids who once had no hope for a steady educational experience nor a substantial future are now surrounded by community, brothers and sisters, as well as a counselor, mentor, house parents, and tutors. At the house, education is not only revered, but it's embedded in all of the activities kids participate in. - Meredith C.
The kids at The Vertile House emit a tangible sense of confidence, pride, and belonging. Since the organization was founded, I have watched these children blossom from living life in the most vulnerable state to flourishing as strong, happy, and confident young people. There will always be mountains beyond mountains, as the Haitian proverb says, but The Vertile House is an oasis amidst adversity. - Lauren H.
I have been volunteering at Vertile House for the past three years. The [Vertile] Foundation makes it possible to clothe, feed, educate and protect the children ranging in age from three to eighteen. This effort hopefully will be the answer to breaking the cycle of poverty so prevalent in Haiti. Leaving the children to return home is the most difficult part of the trip. - Fred A., Travel Volunteer
Having been given the opportunity to spend time at the Vertile House two years in a row, I am continually impressed by the "family" created there! All of children and staff support each other daily, from the tiniest to the oldest, they work side by side, sharing in the daily tasks of making things run smoothly.The courtyard at the House offers a great space for constant soccer games, jump rope, basketball and assorted made up games. The older kids already have aspirations of what they want to be when they are out of school. They have dreams of going to college or learning a skill, all of which has been instilled and encouraged by the staff. The Vertile House not only takes in children in need, but offers them a family and a strong sense of hope for their futures thru continued educational support. It is truly an amazing place. I'm grateful to have experienced the love the House is surrounded in! - Mona S., Travel Volunteer
The Vertile House is a beacon of hope in Carrefour. In a sea of poverty, they provide a life for the children in their care that they certainly wouldn't have had, even with parents. These kids are well cared for, get a good education, and have the opportunity to explore their interests, which is a major privilege. - Claire M.
The Vertile Foundation helps impoverished children in Haiti by providing a loving home for abandoned children, and a school focused on teaching employable skills in technology and leadership.
Haiti is only 2 hours from Miami, yet is by far the poorest country in the western hemisphere with poverty and infrastructure on par with sub-Saharan Africa. After decades of corruption and natural disasters, 60% of Haiti and 3 million Haitian children live in extreme poverty. Most Haitian children are hungry and undereducated, and many have been abandoned.
This worsened after a 2010 earthquake that rocked the tiny island nation, leaving thousands more kids without parents or homes. The options for many were bleak: live on the streets, work as modern day slaves (known as restavèks), or be taken in by one of the many terrible orphanages operating solely for profit.
Named in honor of his mother, Haitian-born Boulder resident Rico Changeux founded The Vertile Foundation in 2010 to give those children a home. With the help of the community, he rebuilt his childhood house, which now functions as a home and community center. It provides food, shelter, education, crisis and trauma counseling, and more for the kids that live there, as well as offering meals and education stipends to other children in the community.
Thousands of schools were also destroyed in the same earthquake that leveled the island, and in the fall of 2019, The Vertile Foundation opened a new school focused on teaching technology and leadership. Our academy seeks to give children in need access to an education, and give them the tools to lift themselves and their community out of poverty.
Organization name
The Vertile Foundation, Inc
2010
Tax id (EIN)
27-2077273
Category
Youth Development, Education, Housing & Shelter, Public Safety, Disaster Preparedness & Relief
Organization Size
Medium Organization
Address
6681 Arapahoe Road Suite 1Boulder County, CO, US
HT
Phone
303-875-9058
Main Number
303-715-8892