Founder of home for children with special needs and University of Limerick graduate kidnapped

A UNIVERSITY of Limerick (UL) graduate who co-founded a residential home for children with special needs in Haiti was kidnapped on Sunday.

Gina Heraty, aged in her 50s, is one of nine people taken hostage from an orphanage near Port-au-Prince - the capital of the country in the Caribbean.

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The Westport native oversees the Sainte-Helene orphanage operated by humanitarian organisation Nos Petits Frères et Soeurs (Our Little Brothers and Sisters).

Ms Heraty went to Haiti in 1993 - two years after completing a degree in Business Studies at the University of Limerick. She was the university’s 2006 recipient of the Outstanding Contribution to Humanity Alumni Award.

Ms Heraty retains close ties to UL and County Limerick. Her sister and brother-in-law, Dr Noreen Heraty and Dr Mike Morley, are on the faculty at the Kemmy Business School and reside in County Limerick.

Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs, Simon Harris said he has spoken to the family of Ms Heraty, saying her kidnapping is “deeply worrying”.

A spokesperson for the Department of Foreign Affairs has confirmed that it is aware of Ms Heraty’s case and is providing consular assistance.

The Mayor of Kenscoff, Masillon Jean, called the kidnapping "planned act".

"The attackers broke into the orphanage around 3:30am without opening fire. They broke through a wall to enter the property before heading to the building where the director was staying, leaving with nine hostages,” said the mayor.

Ms Heraty has been tirelessly championing people with physical and intellectual needs in one of the poorest countries in the Western Hemisphere of 32 years. 

"I feel so blessed to be able to do what I do,” Ms Heraty said in an interview a number of years ago on the UL website.

“Anyone who lives with children with special needs will tell you that every day is a drama, but a wonderful drama.” 

Her selfless and pioneering work has culminated in a series of national and international awards, including being named the Irish Red Cross Humanitarian of the Year. 

After graduating from UL her first job was as a volunteer with the Simon Community in Dublin.

“That’s where I really became interested in the overseas voluntary work of Our Little Brothers and Sisters charity”. 

What started as a six-month placement in Haiti in 1993 turned into a lifetime commitment. She has dedicated herself to an orphanage high in the mountains of Kenscoff, about 10km from the capital Port-au-Prince.

In Haiti, 80% of the population live under the poverty line, with 54% in abject poverty. 

“We live in a country where the needs are so very great. Through our international fundraising – and I have to say, so much of it comes from donations from Ireland - we have been able to reach into the community,” said Ms Heraty.

This reach has resulted in the development of a special education school and meal plan for 80 children, a rehab centre that provides physical therapy for children with neurological disorders, and an adult stroke programme. 

Ms Heraty is the co-founder of Kay Christine, a residential home for children with special needs at the orphanage, and Director of the Charity’s Special Needs Programmes in Haiti.

These outreach programmes provide medical, rehabilitation and educational support to communities where children have severe physical and/or intellectual disabilities. Through her decades of work, Ms Heraty is known all over Haiti for challenging prejudice against people with physical and intellectual disabilities. 

“Haiti is often so brutal but the challenge is to take the pain and see what you can do to relieve it,” she said.

Ms Heraty is in the thoughts of many in the university and in County Limerick who are praying for her safe return.