Hello

Welcome to My Life -

 

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God had another plan bigger than ... around us

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My name is Windy Gelin, born in 1992 in a humble earthen house with wooden slats, a dwelling that embodied rustic authenticity. In our local kitchen, three stone firepits served as the heart of family life, where traditional meals were prepared—symbolizing a way of living deeply connected to nature and steeped in rich cultural traditions.

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I come from the serene and picturesque village of Fond Parisien, a tropical corner of Haiti blessed with breathtaking natural beauty. From these roots grew a journey fueled by a passion for community-building, construction, and professional service. Yet, the most defining part of my story is not the titles I have earned or the projects I have completed—it is the challenging and transformative path I traveled to become the person I am today.

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On January 12, 2010, Haiti’s devastating earthquake changed everything. In a single moment, homes crumbled, schools collapsed, and dreams seemed to vanish in the dust. I was injured—struck on my right hand—and my family lost everything. I could no longer afford to go to school, and it felt like my future had been stolen before it even began.

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But God had another plan. One cousin, with a heart bigger than the destruction around us, stepped in and paid my tuition. That act of love allowed me to finish high school, and it planted in me a lifelong commitment to help others the way I was helped.

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Later, when I first arrived in the United States, it was the support of kind American friends that inspired me even more. They welcomed my family and I, encouraged me, and reminded me that generosity has no borders. Their kindness strengthened my belief that when you receive, you must also give back.

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Every step I take—whether in engineering, community work, or educational initiatives—is guided by gratitude, resilience, and the conviction that even in life’s darkest moments, grace can open the door to hope.

Like the Good Samaritan who, among all who passed by, was moved by God to do more for the wounded man, I have experienced this truth firsthand. In the wake of tragedy, God placed it on my cousin’s heart to go beyond what anyone else had done, giving me the gift of education when all seemed lost. Even in times of illness and personal struggle, after searching in every direction, it was Jesus who stepped in, doing more for me than anyone else could.

As Christians, we are commanded to follow this example—to GO and DO the SAME—meaning to go further, to care deeper, and to do more for people than anybody else. This calling is the foundation of my life’s work and the mission of the Penn Ayiti Foundation.

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