The Founder’s Story

In September 2018, I went back and visited my hometown Morency a beautiful village in southern Haiti. There, I met Catherine, a nine-year-old girl sitting on the river shore doing laundry. It was about 10 am. I approached her and asked: “hi, I think today is a school day.” She looked at me and replied: “yes, it is but my parents cannot afford sending me to school this year.” Right after, I contacted the school principal and told him about the girl I just met. He told me that not only Catherine cannot afford coming back to school, but we also have many students who got left behind even when they were performing at a high level. Moved by this situation, I felt obligated as a responsible citizen and decided to change the lives of these children. I used whatever little savings I had to help Catherine and eleven other students get back to school. The Massillon Richemond Foundation is now an organization helping more than seventy children with their education.

Marie F. Richemond