This is not an orphanage.

Kids Alive is not an orphanage. This is what the kids here at Kids Alive told me. They were upset because some of the kids in the secondary school heard other people referring to Kids Alive as an orphanage. I hadn't really thought about that word before and realized that this really isn't an orphanage for them. An orphanage is as defined an institution for housing and caring for orphans. If you knew nothing about Kids Alive Haiti I could see why you would call us an orphanage. We do just that, care for and house orphans.

So I asked our kids why is the word òfelina (orphanage in Creole) so offensive to them, their response was beautiful.

"Kids Alive is an organization, an institution of growth and a ministry"
"Kids Alive is home"
"Kids Alive is a village where we rescue kids"
"Kids Alive is where kids feel safe and sound"
"Kids Alive is where my family is"
"Kids Alive is a safe haven"
"Kids Alive is where I see that Jesus had a plan for me"
"Kids Alive is where I can live and grow"
"Kids Alive is where I will return when I want to see my family, they are my family now"

I didn't understand why the kids here were getting so upset when kids at school were calling Kids Alive an orphanage but I see now what was so upsetting to them.
Kids Alive is not just somewhere where we mindlessly care for orphans.
It is also not somewhere that fits into the stereotype of Haitian orphanages that are often known for being low quality and providing the bare minimum of care.

Kids Alive is their home, where their families are, where they go to school, where they learn, where they grow, where their memories are made.

Kids Alive is kids singing, kids playing soccer, kids dancing, kids loving, kids eating, kids laughing, kids joking, kids jumping, kids smiling.

Kids Alive is so much more than an orphanage and these kids have really shown me that.