The Honey for Haiti Project has been supported by many, but our most active supporter, fundraiser, and resident beekeeper, Bob Keiser, is an especially important person to the success of the sustainability farm at Maison L’Arc-en-Ciel. Bob Keiser, 65 is a “mostly” retired beekeeper from Madison, CT, where he has resided for many years, and has become a very active parishioner at St. George Catholic Church in Guilford, CT. Bob tends to be very busy compared to the average reti

Originally, Maison L’Arc-en-Ciel was located in Boutillers, not far outside Port-au-Prince, which included a small piece of land and the former family house of the Duvailers, the family that ruled Haiti by dictatorship from 1957-1986. After receiving threats from the extended Duvalier family, Danielle decided it was necessary to relocate the orphanage, and in 2005, the current property was purchased. Construction on the foster home facility began shortly after, which would be

In the late 1980’s, Danielle Reid Penette, director and founder of Maison L’Arc-en-Ciel visited Haiti for the first time with her Haitian-born husband, Robert, and was heartbroken by the situation faced by families and children affected/infected with HIV/AIDS. Those who were impacted by this terrible affliction had nowhere to turn, for Haiti,at the time, had absolutely no services for those facing an HIV/AIDS diagnosis. There was very little understanding of the virus, and th

In 1996, AIDS was the leading cause of death in Haiti, with over 300,000 people infected with the virus, 180,000 of whom were children. HIV/AIDS was a guaranteed death sentence, with no available antiretroviral medication and a widespread lack of education about the disease and how it is transmitted, leading to the total ostracization of those afflicted with it. This resulted in thousands of homeless, sick children and families, who had nowhere to turn for assistance in all