Appointment Of Mr. Gerald Oriol Jr. As Special Advisor In Haiti

PRESS RELEASE  |  September 15, 2016, Port au Prince, Haiti.

Mercy & Sharing is pleased to announce the appointment of Mr. Gerald Oriol Jr. as Special Advisor in Haiti effective immediately. Mr. Oriol will provide council to the board and managerial staff of Mercy & Sharing in Haiti, which currently offers, among other services, a residence for 127 abandoned children (65 of whom suffer from disabilities), three schools educating 1,200 children each day, free medical clinics, a church, a therapy and rehabilitation center, nutrition and hydration programs serving thousands each day.

Commenting on the appointment, Mercy & Sharing’s President, Robin Hamill states, “We are thrilled to welcome Gerald to our team! Gerald brings a unique perspective to the issue of disabled people, particularly children, in Haiti and his management experience is first rate. An appointment of this significance indicates Mercy & Sharing’s deep commitment to lifting Haiti up after more than 22 years working in Haiti.

Mr. Oriol says, “Mercy & Sharing has a proven track record of getting things done in Haiti. I am very pleased to be joining this organization that was founded by Susie Krabacher; her passion for the most vulnerable people in our society was a compelling reason for me to join Mercy & Sharing. I look forward to working with the Mercy & Sharing team to take the organization to a new level of advocacy for abandoned children and those with disabilities”.

Gérald Oriol, Jr., commonly known as Ti Gérald, was appointed Haiti’s Secretary of State for the Integration of Persons with Disabilities by President Michel Martelly in October of 2011. From 2011 to 2016, he directed a staff of approximately 70 personnel working from seven offices throughout the country, which provided services to an estimated one million disabled persons. While in office, Oriol outlined the following objectives for the Bureau of the Secretary of State for the Integration of Persons with Disabilities (BSEIPH): advance the rights of persons with disabilities in Haiti; provide access to education for children with disabilities; create economic opportunities for persons with disabilities; promote the development of a physically accessible environment; and further develop the resources and capabilities of the BSEIPH.

In his post as Secretary with the disability portfolio, Oriol collaborated directly with organizations such as USAID, the World Bank, the European Union, the United Nations, and the Organization of American States. He represented Haiti at disability conferences in Qatar, Ecuador, Panama and the United States.

Oriol also has extensive experience in the private and non-profit sectors. Prior to his appointment as Secretary, Oriol worked for several years as a consultant in the drinking water industry. He is also a shareholder in TECINA SA, a Haitian company specialized in the study, management and performance of construction projects.

In 2006, Oriol co-founded Fondation J’Aime Haiti [I Love Haiti Foundation], a non-profit that champions the rights of disabled and impoverished persons in Haiti. J’Aime Haiti developed several notable programs including L’Espoir par L’Education [Hope through Education], which awards scholarships to children of low-income families.

Oriol received his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of Florida and his Master of Liberal Arts from Harvard University.

HaitiChildren is a U.S. based non-profit organization (doing business in Haiti as Mercy & Sharing) providing care and education to abandoned, orphaned and disabled children in Haiti. Since 1994, we have cared for Haiti’s most defenseless children and established a reputation for excellence in our community-based programming. We take abused, abandoned, and disabled children from a vulnerable state of being hurt and broken and provide comprehensive care until they become independent and thriving. 100% of HaitiChildren’s US expenses are funded by its board meaning that all donations received go directly to programming in Haiti.

MEDIA CONTACT: ROBIN HAMILL, PRESIDENT
ROBIN@HAITICHILDREN.ORG  |  970-925-6520