‘Our goal is to get Jeremie here to the states’

Cleland said, “He lives in a society that devalues those who are different. While Jeremie is safely living at the orphanage, if he isn’t given a formal education, he will live his entire life as a beggar.”

He said that his sister discovered Jeremie while working for Living Water for Haiti, a nonprofit organization in the Dayton/Springfield area that is committed to bringing clean water and the gospel to remote areas in Haiti.

He said that Jeremie was born to a 13-year-old mother and a 14-year-old father who were unable to care for the child. They gave Jeremie to his grandfather, but when he found that the child was deaf he abandoned him. Jeremie was found on the streets by locals and taken to an orphanage.

“I couldn’t help but feel a desire to help. While I don’t consider myself special by any means, I believed that I could do some good,” said Cleland.

At the beginning of the new year Cleland and his sister launched the Jeremie Project in an effort to raise the money to bring Jeremie to the U.S. So far their fundraising efforts have been relatively local. They have reached out to local churches and religious organizations for funding and have received some donations from alumni of Cedarville University, as well as private donors. Unfortunately, it is still nowhere near the $8,000-$15,000 they need. He said the range is so broad because there was such a lack of medical care at the orphanage that they don’t know what kind of medical attention Jeremie will need.

He said that the money would cover flights to Haiti and the U.S., doctor’s examinations in Haiti, a passport, fees for a visa, medical expenses, a possible hearing aid, clothes, his school tuition and housing costs.

“We are trying to get the word out about Jeremie, so that people can understand a little of what our goal is. We have a willing, and able family, waiting for Jeremie as we speak. These individuals stepped up and offered to care for Jeremie, and help him through his education. Our primary goal is to get Jeremie here to the states,” said Cleland.

He said that once Jeremie has his visa and has begun his education, they will look into the possibilities of adoption and permanence in the states. “At this moment, we don’t have the funds for adoption and the legal process in Haiti is very complex and corrupt.”

For those who wish to help, Cleland said there are currently three ways to donate. The first and easiest is to donate on their GoFundMe page at www.gofundme.com/dhpubn-the-jeremie-project. The second is to donate to their organization, which has been set up through Cedarville University. (Send checks to the Advancement Dept. at Cedarville University, 251 N. Main St., Cedarville, OH 45314-9918, and write IJM in the Memo line.)

Lastly, Individuals can donate to the nonprofit Living Water for Haiti online, or through their Facebook page. Cleland said that 100 percent of money goes to Jeremie, and the effort to bring him to the United States, and to a better future.

For more information or to donate to the Jeremie Project, email Jaden Cleland at jadencleland@cedarville.edu.