Solange “Sonia” Pierre When an orphanage collapsed in Léogâne, the Haitian town and epicenter of the 2010 earthquake, Solange “Sonia” Pierre, a Dominican political activist, sent help. Volunteers found 77 scared, hungry orphans sleeping out in the open. In August I, as a photojournalist, visited the new orphanage Pierre built with donations to house the 27 youngest and most vulnerable orphans. The New-York-based Dominican group I traveled with presented Pierre 12 suitcases of donations. Each child was handed a rare treat: candy. As Pierre inspected sunglasses, clothes and toys, a boy handed her his single piece of candy. I photographed Pierre, moved to tears, accepting the small gift, the only thing the boy had to thank her for rescuing him. Pierre, 48, mother of four, died on December 4 of a heart attack. At 13 she was arrested for organizing a protest of Haitian sugar workers. At 28 she founded Movimiento De Mujeres Dominico Haitiana to help Haitian women and children. She received the Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Award in 2006; the International Women of Courage Award in 2010. I last photographed Pierre waving good-bye, driving out the orphanage gates, as the sun rose over the deforested mountains on the blue horizon. - Submitted by Ken Paprocki - NYT: The Lives They Loved This feature is so powerful…and a reminder to make your life count.
Solange “Sonia” Pierre
When an orphanage collapsed in Léogâne, the Haitian town and epicenter of the 2010 earthquake, Solange “Sonia” Pierre, a Dominican political activist, sent help. Volunteers found 77 scared, hungry orphans sleeping out in the open. In August I, as a photojournalist, visited the new orphanage Pierre built with donations to house the 27 youngest and most vulnerable orphans. The New-York-based Dominican group I traveled with presented Pierre 12 suitcases of donations. Each child was handed a rare treat: candy. As Pierre inspected sunglasses, clothes and toys, a boy handed her his single piece of candy. I photographed Pierre, moved to tears, accepting the small gift, the only thing the boy had to thank her for rescuing him. Pierre, 48, mother of four, died on December 4 of a heart attack. At 13 she was arrested for organizing a protest of Haitian sugar workers. At 28 she founded Movimiento De Mujeres Dominico Haitiana to help Haitian women and children. She received the Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Award in 2006; the International Women of Courage Award in 2010. I last photographed Pierre waving good-bye, driving out the orphanage gates, as the sun rose over the deforested mountains on the blue horizon. - Submitted by Ken Paprocki

- NYT: The Lives They Loved

This feature is so powerful…and a reminder to make your life count.