Irish woman among nine people kidnapped from orphanage in Haiti
Gena Heraty, from Westport in Mayo, is the director of the Sainte-Helene orphanage in the commune of Kenscoff, which is 10km southeast of the Haitian capital, Port-au-Prince.
Kenscoff Mayor Masillon Jean said Ms Heraty, seven other employees and a three-year-old child were taken from the orphanage.
According to AFP, the Irish woman rang the organisation which oversees the orphanage, Nos Petits Frères et Soeurs, on Sunday to confirm she was among the kidnapped.
No demands or ransom requests have been made.
The Department of Foreign Affairs confirmed it is aware of the case and is providing "consular assistance".
A spokesperson for the Department of Foreign Affairs told the Irish Mirror: 'The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade is aware of the case and is providing consular assistance. As with all consular cases, the Department does not comment on the details of individual cases.'
Ms Heraty has been living in Haiti for over three decades. She left in 1993 on a six-month placement that turned into a lifetime of commitment. Gena Heraty receiving an Oireachtas Human Dignity Award in 2016 for 23 years love and service to children of NPH orphanage in Haiti (Image: Twitter)
She has done trojan work to help children with physical and intellectual disabilities in Haiti, including opening a residential home for children with special needs in the orphanage.
Writing in a blog for the University of Limerick, Ms Heraty said: 'I feel so blessed to be able to do what I do.
'Anyone who lives with children with special needs will tell you that every day is a drama, but a wonderful drama.'
Ms Heraty has won a number of awards for her humanitarian work, including being named the Irish Red Cross Humanitarian of the Year.
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