Fall is here, or perhaps I should say "fall" is here in Haiti. The temperatures are starting to very slowly drop - most days are still in the 80s but it's a comfortable 80 and the afternoon and evening rain showers bring a much welcomed respite from what has been a long and very warm summer. We've been fortunate enough to have avoided any major tropical storm or hurricanes (so far!) and so while folks at home are headed off to the pumpkin patch and the orchards, we are enjoying the mangoes finally in season, cooler evening temperatures, and spending more and more time outside! While it may be "fall" in Haiti, we're still able to go to the beach to get our children in the water, and spend lots of time enjoying the break from the usually oppressive heat!
The children are back into their school schedule, and their schedules are busier than ever! We believe strongly that a healthy amount of structure is necessary for children to thrive - especially children who have come from various backgrounds and various histories which may have been (and almost always were!) very unpredictable. We find that the routine of the week keeps everyone happy and so while we know with children one must always be flexible, we take great pride in our ability to work so much into a tight schedule for the children.
Aside from going off to school each morning during the week, the children return for our on-site after school enrichment program. The objectives of this program are to first be sure that children have their homework done and know their lessons from the day and for the following day. Essentially, it's a two hour block of time where our staff of nine teachers breaks up into 5 groups and works with our children to reinforce lessons and find out any particular areas a child may be struggling with. We have a solid reporting system in place to track these efforts, and any issues or concerns are addressed in our daily staff meetings. We're then better positioned to address those needs more consistently and more effectively - because as you manage a home with 56 children, you must always be on your toes!
We've most recently hired a gentleman who has great experience in teaching teachers - a certified teaching instructor who has many years experience teaching at the "fundamental" (elementary) level classes in Haiti. Working with him, we've brought brief but important workshops and trainings to our other staff. Having his expertise is invaluable as Amanda works together with the teaching staff to build their capacities and bring the best education and strategies we can to our children so that we are truly preparing them to be the next generation of leaders in Haiti! We are currently working on ways to encourage our teaching staff to use more "hands on" techniques and approaches to course concepts and content. We were thrilled to see our preschool teachers, Guilene and Carline working with our children outside of the classroom, using match box cars to revisit colors, numbers, and size/shapes! Out of the classroom and thinking outside of the box - this is what we are striving to instill in the minds of our children, and as we see that happen little by little, we know our efforts are paying off!
Yesterday we welcomed our first Britsionary group for the month of October! In this group included Amanda's return to Haiti after her first break, and we're excited that she and Jonathan will now have time to sit together and really plan out some important programming work to benefit our children! Kristin lead the team in yesterday and brought with them a dental team from Massachusetts! Dental care and services are a scarce and sacred resource here in Haiti, and we're blessed to have with us this week a dentist and two hygienists who've so graciously volunteered their time and expertise to the children of Be Like Brit! It should be a very busy week for this team, while they are busy working on the children the rest of the group will be busy with another community project! Stay tuned to see what we have in store for the group this week!
I traveled to Port this week with one of our boys, Steeve. Steeve had an umbilical hernia corrected in October of last year, and recently had been complaining about pain and discomfort around the area of the procedure. Given that the surgery was performed a full year ago, I didn't really think that it was related to this operation. Upon closer inspection, however, it was clear to me that something was indeed wrong. Imagine my surprise when I found an internal, non-dissolvable suture poking through his belly button! I think I had a true "panicked parent" moment when I called up the chief medical officer at the hospital in Port-au-Prince. She was incredibly responsive and told me to bring him in the next morning for an assessment and told me to plan for the possibility of a surgery to correct the problem.
Steeve and I (along with Francky our driver) set off for Port at 6am on Friday. We arrived at the hospital at about 8:30am and by 10am we were finished! The surgeon who performed Steeve's procedure saw us immediately and decided that the sutures needed to be removed. Remarkably (and thankfully!) he was able to do this quite simply, with no incisions necessary. Steeve actually laughed because the procedure was tickling him more than it hurt! What a brave boy Steeve is and has been throughout this entire ordeal! It was a very proud parent moment, indeed!
While we are busy inside the orphanage and running a home for 56 children, the work continues outside on the new land and the development of the athletic field. What Len has dubbed the "Great Wall of Grand Goave" is truly nothing less than that! I don't get outside enough to see what the workers are up to, as that is all handled by Gama and Weenshy, but when I do, I am always impressed and surprised with the progress and the amount of work that is being accomplished!
It shouldn't be long before we have a soccer field of our own to play on - and one we hope to open up to other organizations and friends so that everyone can benefit from this great resource. As the land takes shape and the vision becomes clearer, it really is remarkable to see how Len and his vision has carved all of this out of a sloping hillside - a mountain to one side and a valley to the other. The landscape has grown and changed as quickly as Be Like Brit has over the course of the past 22 months since we've been open as a home for children. We know that we have many more great and exciting projects in our sights, and hope that you follow along and keep up on all of our progress!
Thank you for helping us help the children of Haiti at Be Like Brit! Keep the Faith!!!
