Orphanage  |
I'm seated in an Internet kiosk several miles from Pont Sonde on the main Haitian road north. You wouldn't know there were 5 computer stations tucked away in the far back room of a roadside shop. Actually they are not working--but they did have one cable that we plugged into my MAC to upload pictures and send this report. The owner is a Haitian woman who travels back and forth to the US for business. She is quite hospitable and was willing for me to use the office computer that is working--I decided to use my own. It was actually quite cool in the room until someone came and turned the fan in another direction. I don't mind, she laid her baby on the cool tile floor just feet behind me, turned the fan on and left the room. The child is sound asleep.
Storm  |
Staying cool seems to be the big objective. It is hot, and in the middle of the rainy season storms arrive with force each afternoon. So much so, that we lost several of our tents. It was a lesson in empathy and certainly not of consequence considering the trials of Haiti since January.
I've uploaded pictures from the past several days that will give you a good sense of the excitement of this trip and our three projects in Haiti. We have some fabulous artists, both from the US and also from Haiti. All our projects are designed to include local artists as part of our philosophy of sustainability and capacity building. You can view them on our
PICASAWEB ALBUM. I have added text to most of the picture to give you the context--I'm still working on names and text--as well as chronological order. And keep this update to a minimum.
Recorder  |
We have three projects--two simultaneously. These pilot projects were designed with local organizations as part of our strategy in three areas: healing, education, and environment.
Healing: Ellen Schelly-Hill and Vivian Nix-Early provided training in arts for trauma at North Haiti Christian University with 28 students, including artists, a theology student, a nurse, as well as an agriculturist. Following the classroom instruction, the students moved to a nearby orphanage and worked with children (under teacher supervision) to practice their new skills. They also had to take a final examination. Two of the students--Jerry and Henri--came to Pont Sonde to assist with the arts camp.
Education: The majority of our large team is staying at Pont Sonde where they are leading an arts camp for children that attend a local elementary school. 50 students were selected to attend. The primary focus of the camp is to teach art-making skills in music, dance, storytelling, poetry and calligraphy and visual arts. Of course, in keeping with our model the classes are trauma-informed and based on healing and specific strategies for hope-building. We use the BuildaBridge Classroom model that is structured with opening assembly, motto, welcome songs and class rules. Local artists have contributed some great songs and we have 6 excellent translators that are part of the class, along with local teaching assistants. Not only are we transferring (and learning) new skills, but it also provides some needed employment for local people in an economy where 85% unemployment.
Environment: At Leur Bourg, on the outskirts of Port au Prince and on the edge of Cite Soleil, three of our artists Liz Spaeth (intern), Amy Tuttle and Rob Wetherington are the first group to stay at the orphanage for an extended time, and the first group of artists to work with the kids. Their task is to teach art but to also create a child safe and creative space in a compound that also hosts a car repair business. The small orphanage staff is quite open and excited to improve the space for the 53 children. You can view the pictures. Our concern has also been the safety of our artists in a less than desirable living space. The orphanage has been quite hospitable and created an area for the artists to live including a shower tent. They are cooking their own food, as well.
As the week continues, keep the Haitians, the children of Haiti especially, and our artists in your thoughts and prayers. While we made every preparation, we were not quite prepared for the quickly rising costs of food and transportation.
Next Steps. Finally, we are preparing for our next projects in November. We will most likely be returning to the orphanage to continue work with the children and the creative space. We are in discussion with the Organization for Development in the Artibonit Valley, where there is a need for work with people with disabilities. In addition, we will be posting an internship position for music to work with an organization serving 425 orphans and street children in Port-au-Prince.
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Forgive my misspellings and grammatical errors, I'm headed back to Pont Sonde.
Nathan
