Day 3: CESAH

Sak pase!

This morning started off with a quick breakfast and an essential jolt of Haitian coffee, then we were off to visit the new school site (CESAH). Stepping out of the van at CESAH for the first time each year is always incredible. It has been a work in progress for the last nine years and seeing it up and running never gets old. Just four years ago on my first trip, it took 18 high school students an entire week to move a pile of rocks from one side of the courtyard to the other, and today, we stopped in to see five full fledged classes filled with eager students excited to learn.

Joining in on Kim’s morning English class was definitely the highlight of our day. Each of us had the opportunity to pair up with a Haitian student and practice our Kreyol, while they practiced their English. With our trips over the years, the language barrier is something we have always wanted to overcome and this was a step forward. Although we are nowhere close to fluent, it was fun to have conversations with the students and learn more about them while we shared about our own lives.

After class, we transitioned to preparing for an afternoon art class for the 3rd-5th graders at CESAH. Each of the students decorated a watercolor cover, and we turned them into little notebooks for them to decorate and take home. Everyone took a different approach, and it was great to see each student express themselves in their own way.

Once school was over, we headed to Epidor for a late lunch and then back to the house to prepare materials for tomorrow. We are venturing out to SAKALA, a community organization located in an extremely poor neighborhood in Port-au-Prince. SAKALA strives to create a safe space for children in Cité Soleil to learn and grow. Tomorrow, we plan to do an art project where the students will create paper planes and decorate them with water color.

For now, we are off to bed with full stomachs and happy hearts after another unforgettable day in Haiti!

Na pale pita! Bonwi :)