About Me
Patrick Valme's journey began as a young Haitian man in the nurturing hands of his loving mother, Ghislaine Valme. She was a spiritual woman who showed her devotion to God through a commitment to help impoverished Haitians, people of her native land lacking in hope and support. It was in this missionary work where she first developed important foundations of love and compassion in young Patrick. This groundwork stands as the building blocks for Eyes of Haiti and its progressive attitudes toward a hands-on support system;Patrick's young adult life started to take shape after high school when he went abroad. He left Haiti to continue his education in America. He worked his way through school and received a Bachelors degree in business management. After college , his drive to share Ghislaine's message to the world allowed him to become a friend to many. He traveled around the world to create a network of friends who share in the vision of a better world; a place where there was always someone to listen and a shoulder to cry on.Throughout his life, Patrick's search for a sense of purpose has been difficult. Never lacking in energy or passion, he was consistently challenged to find his place in the world. Much like the visionaries of the past who saw a world unable to listen or change, his path was littered with obstacles and bouts of depression . The question always raised, Could the world be that cold, that uncompassionate. The catalyst that would change Patrick's life, a tragedy so heartbreaking, came at a time of year when many people were searching for meaning.On December 16 2005, Patrick's father, Jean Claude Valme, went to pick up his wife from work. As they were approaching their house, a group of men surrounded them and tried to kidnap them. In an attempt to protect his wife, Jean Claude Valme was fatally shot. Ghislaine Valme was taken hostage as Jean Claude fell to the ground. Her last image of her beloved Jean Claude was of his body floating in a pool of blood.In the meantime, while at work in Boston, Patrick was informed of what happened to his parents. He became overwhelmed with a multitude of emotions. Anger, frustration, shock and confusion overcame him. He started to feel helpless and lost. In a moment of disbelief, he said, They killed my father, I feel dead,I need my mom.I need my mom?She is my first love, my best friend,I already lost my dad, now; I need my mom. With that frame of mind, he booked the first flight out to HaitiUpon his arrival, he saw his father lying in a morgue, his body swimming in a pool of blood with the bullets still lodged in his neck. He softly stroked his father's gray hair and wept. As his anger built, Patrick intuitively knew that he could not break down. His mother was still out there; he became obsessed with finding her.He got in contact with the kidnapper's negotiator to settle a ransom, which was set at $1million. He formed a team of negotiators to bargain with the kidnappers.At the same time the negotiations were in progress, he began fundraising to secure his mother's release. To have a real chance of securing his mother's safety, the amount would have to be more reasonable. The negotiations got the number down to $50,000, still a stretch and time was running out. Patrick became increasingly agitated during the process. He felt that his mother's life was too precious and time was of the essence. The longer they waited, the less of a chance she would have of surviving. Meanwhile, he was handling the arrangements for his father's funeral, set to take place on December 30, 2005. Finally, the phone call came; the negotiators had convinced the kidnappers to release Ghislaine for $30,000. When Patrick arranged for the delivery of the ransom, he asked the negotiator if his mother was ok, he replied, ?Yes, she is. With that, he agreed to their conditions. They told Patrick where he could find his mother. For the first time since this tragedy began, Patrick became full of hope. He was going to console the loss of his father with the presence of his mother.Unable to sleep with anticipation, he woke up early in the morning to go pick her up. As he was on his way, one of his friends who arrived at the location first, called him and told him that his mother was found on a pile of trash. Her naked and burnt body was lying there with her arms cut off and her stomach cut open. She was swollen and disfigured. When he went to the morgue, they tried to deny him access. He convinced them to let him see her. Consumed with sadness and disbelief, he managed to build up the courage to see the body. Only after pulling the corpse out of the drawer and noticing a distinct scar that she had on her foot, he finally accepted that what he was seeing was his mother. The moment was the most real of his life. Things had shifted. Everything was different. At that point, he placed his hand on her head; he thanked her for showing him love and how to love. He also thanked her for leading him to God and promised that he will continue the work that she had started. All of their love for each other was about to take shape.Instead of turning the pain into hatred and revenge, it became forgiveness and compassion. While staring at his mother's body, Patrick started thinking about all of the sadness and despair that exists in Haiti. An important transition was taking place in his mind. He realized that it was not the kidnappers fault for the violence that takes place there. Their situation was one of dire straits. Products of their environment, this was all they knew. The elements necessary for opportunity and success does not exist for them. Without an infrastructure for the development of a beneficial economy, this was the only way for some to survive. This became a very powerful revelation for Patrick. He understood their plight and he decided to start from the ground up. Like any great building that reaches into the sky, this undertaking would require a solid foundation. It all starts with the children. The message was simple: give them hope and let them know that love is more powerful than hatred and violence. That was the turning point in his life. He said, I no longer have my parents here for me to fall back on when things go wrong. I no longer have my mother's love and affection. So now, I have to turn to God for love. I give Him my life and He has shown me my purpose, which is to continue with my mother?s legacy.Patrick believes that if we invest in the children today, they will be great leaders tomorrow. This investment is as much monetary as it is love, time and effort. While acknowledging that the people of Haiti have been deprived of empathy and humanity, they also lack the basic necessities in life. In attempting to address this concept of this survival mode, an infrastructure must be set up to supply the children with medical, educational and social needs to help themselves. With that understanding, his devotion to God and the spirit of his mother, this road has led him to found The Eyes of Haiti.The Eyes of Haiti is a non- profit organization looking to form alliances with other non-profit organizations to improve the conditions in Haiti through the promotion of love and hope. This support will be reflected in the children that we nurture and nourish. Our mission is to prove that love does conquer all. By breaking the chains of violence that have kept us enslaved for all of these years, we will show the world that our slogan L'union Fait la Force (Unity Creates Power), holds true. We will unite the links of love that will create a strong and solid chain, unbreakable and unwavering. The seed of love that Mrs. Valme has planted in her son?s heart has grown and blossomed into the sweetest fruit. Compassion and humanity has and will continue to spread throughout the world through The Eyes of Haiti.A special thanks to all of the friends and family who have donated their time and effort to this worthy endeavor. Peace and Love.....
