One Act of Kindness. A Lifelong Mission.
Yahve-Jire Children’s Foundation began with an act of kindness following the devastating earthquake that struck Haiti in 2010.
What started as a one-time disaster-relief trip from Pittsburgh became a relationship that would span more than a decade—and a shared commitment to providing vulnerable children with safety, education, faith, and the opportunity to build a better future.
Today, Yahve-Jire Children’s Foundation is a family, a community, and a ministry dedicated to raising children who are not only able to build independent lives, but who are equipped and inspired to give back to their communities.
Where It All Began
Following the 2010 earthquake in Haiti, a team from the Pittsburgh area traveled to Haiti with funds that had been raised for disaster relief. Through a Haitian contact, they were introduced to Chedlin Justinvil, a Haitian architect who understood firsthand the transformative power of someone choosing to invest in another person’s future.
Chedlin’s own education had been made possible through the generosity of a missionary. Because Haiti does not have a universal public education system, that support gave Chedlin an opportunity that might otherwise not have been possible.
He never forgot what someone had done for him.
Instead of keeping that opportunity for himself, Chedlin chose to pass it on.
Together with his late wife, Sofie, he began opening their home to children who were living in vulnerable circumstances. They provided food, shelter, education, and something just as important—a family.
At one point, Chedlin and Sofie were caring for 23 children, including their own son, in a rented home in Croix-des-Bouquets on the outskirts of Port-au-Prince.
These children were not simply given a place to stay.
They were welcomed into a home.
They were sent to school.
They were fed.
They were prayed for.
They were loved.
And they were given hope.
A One-Time Trip Becomes a Lifelong Commitment
The Pittsburgh team could have returned home after delivering disaster relief.
Instead, five members of that original group chose to return.
And then they returned again.
What began as a single trip became an ongoing relationship with Chedlin, Sofie, and the children.
Friends and family members joined subsequent trips. Nurses traveled to Haiti to provide basic healthcare. Dental professionals provided care to hundreds of community members. Vision clinics were organized. Soccer and other community outreach activities became part of the work.
At the same time, the team began helping Chedlin pursue his larger vision: creating a permanent home and school where children could live, learn, and grow together.
The relationship between the people in Haiti and those supporting the work in the United States became the foundation of Yahve-Jire Children’s Foundation.
Building a Home and a Community
As the number of children in Chedlin’s care grew, it became clear that a permanent home was needed.
The Pittsburgh team helped establish the beginnings of a new campus outside Port-au-Prince. Over the following years, dormitories, a school, a church, a kitchen, and multipurpose facilities were built.
Solar power was eventually installed to provide much of the campus’s energy needs.
The children moved from their rented home into a permanent home of their own.
But the campus was never intended to serve only the children living there.
The school welcomed children from the surrounding community. The church became a place of worship for children from the home, students, families, and neighbors. Medical, dental, vision, and other community outreach programs expanded the organization’s reach.
The vision grew from caring for individual children to serving an entire community.
More Than a Children’s Home
Yahve-Jire Children’s Foundation believes that caring for a child means caring for the whole person.
Food and shelter are essential.
But children also need education. They need healthcare. They need emotional stability. They need people who believe in them.
And we believe they need the opportunity to know and grow in their relationship with Jesus Christ.
Our mission is built around five interconnected areas:
Safe Housing
We provide vulnerable children with a safe, stable, and loving home where they can grow up surrounded by family and caring adults.
Education
We believe education can change the trajectory of a child’s life. We support children throughout their educational journey and seek opportunities for higher education and vocational development as they grow older.
Medical Care
Through access to healthcare and community outreach—including medical, dental, and vision clinics—we work to address essential health needs.
Faith
Faith is at the center of who we are.
Our children are raised in a Christ-centered environment where prayer, worship, Scripture, and discipleship are part of daily life.
We want every child to understand that they are deeply loved by God, created with purpose, and never alone.
Independence
Our responsibility does not end when a child becomes an adult.
We are committed to helping the children transition toward independence through education, higher education, employment, life skills, and opportunities to contribute to their communities.
Raising Children Who Give Back
One of the most important parts of YJCF’s mission is what happens when the children grow up.
We are not simply raising children to leave the home.
We are raising young adults who can become independent, responsible, educated, and contributing members of their communities.
Chedlin’s own story is the foundation for this philosophy.
Someone invested in Chedlin’s future.
That investment changed his life.
He chose to invest in others.
Now we want to see that same cycle continue.
A child who receives an education can become a teacher.
A child who receives healthcare can become a healthcare professional.
A child who experiences stability can create stability for their own family.
A child who receives love can learn to give love.
A child who is given an opportunity can one day create opportunities for someone else.
We believe this is one path toward a stronger Haiti.
Faith at the Center
Yahve-Jire means “The Lord Will Provide.”
That name reflects the faith that has carried this ministry from its beginning.
Our Christian faith is not simply one part of what we do.
It shapes why we do it.
We believe every child is created in the image of God and deserves to be treated with dignity, compassion, and love.
We believe children deserve to grow up knowing that their circumstances do not determine their worth or their future.
Through prayer, worship, Scripture, discipleship, and the example of Christian community, we seek to help each child develop a strong foundation of faith that will guide them throughout their lives.
Our hope is that the children will not only experience God’s love through the people around them, but come to know that love for themselves.
Our Story Continues
The story of Yahve-Jire Children’s Foundation is ultimately a story about what can happen when people choose to invest in one another.
A missionary once invested in Chedlin.
Chedlin and Sofie invested in children.
A group from Pittsburgh chose to invest in Chedlin’s vision.
And together, that investment has created a family and a ministry that continues to provide hope to children in Haiti.
What began with one act of kindness became a lifelong mission.
And the story is still being written.
Yahve-Jire Children's Foundation 