“Di m’ ki sa ou renmen, m’a di ou ki moun ou ye.”

Tell me what you love, and I’ll tell you who you are.

Seeds of Hope: Early History of PAZAPA and The Siloé Project

The Siloé Project, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, was started in 1982 by Peter Cuningham and Patty Westerbeke from the San Francisco Bay area.

After an initial stint at Mother Teresa’s HIV/AIDS hospice in Port au Prince, they rebuilt a hurricane damaged clinic in Jacmel. They were joined by Tony Antoine, a local pastor and physiotherapist, and in 1985 by Doris Clark, a nurse bringing Peace Corps experience.

There was a pivotal moment at the clinic when a mother sought a “cure” for her child with Down Syndrome. How could Peter explain to her that even modern medicine cannot always offer a cure?

That evening at the Jacmel home of the MacRae’s, rum flowed, and laughter rang. But Peter spoke to the doubts gnawing him:

“Where does hope go when cures are not found?”

Jane MacRae, a Canadian expatriate, felt the weight of his question. The idea of PAZAPA was born.

A rented nearby house was renovated into the PAZAPA Center for Children with Disabilities. Steadfast Tony Antoine bicycled through dusty streets, gently seeking those hidden away by fear and shame. Within the Center children with disabilities, once regarded as the blighted, partook in nourishing meals and found healing hands.

Peter placed the Center into Jane’s care, with assurance of support. Jane MacRae embraced her new purpose. And how PAZAPA grew under Jane’s care! When Jane saw a need – for special education, for mothers to earn, for vocational skills – programs bloomed. Where once there was ignorance, Jane and Tony sowed understanding. Where once there was despair, they planted seeds of hope and possibility.

Those once hidden walked, and continue to walk. PAZAPA became both a place and an idea.