Our Mission
To provide a home and education for abandoned children in Jacmel. As our resources allow, to provide emergency aid to the community of Jacmel.
Our History
After a lifetime of software development, culminating in recent dot-com fortune, Martin Schmitt and his wife Sue decided to delve deeper into their philanthropy. In 2006, after a visit to Haiti, they founded an orphanage in the coastal community of Jacmel on the southern shore of Haiti.
Kay Angel, Creole for Angel House, opened its doors in 2007 and is now home to 13 children. 5 are HIV+; 2 are severely handicapped; all are lucky to be alive. They are the fortunate exceptions to the estimated 225,000 child slaves in Haiti, children as young as five years old who lost their parents and are now forced to work just to survive.
The orphanage’s director, Lia van de Donk, and her local staff care for our children 24/7. Half of them are of school age and visited either the local kindergarten, a school for the handicapped or were taught by our own private teacher – until the earthquake destroyed all three facilities.
Support for Kay Angel comes from private donations, Founder’s contributions and local support from MINUSTAH and the World Food Program.
WeCanBuildanOrphanage.com received its grant of non-profit status from the IRS in March of 2007, and was recognized as tax-exempt by the State of California later that year.
| Administrative Contact Info WeCanBuildanOrphanage.com Gala Calisto P.O. Box 1306 Topanga, CA 90290 310/455-2400 |
Orphanage Contact Info Kay Angel Lia van de Donk Rue Albert Jean-Louis Jacmel, Haiti 011-509-3748-6055 |
Our Location
Jesula was born on April 11th, 2007. At about nine months old her mother passed away from AIDS and Jesula was left at an orphanage. The nuns prayed very hard for Jesula but against their prayers, she tested positive for HIV. 
