Gettingto Know Your International Contacts- Part 2

I have learned more regarding the children living at the orphanage in Haiti.  First, they do attend school that is located up the road.  However, the orphanage must pay for each child that attends the school.  The Mission of Hope School focuses on reading, writing, and math.   Ninety percent of the schools in Haiti are private.  These schools charge tuition.  There are very few public schools with very little funding.  This means the schools are not accessible to everyone.  I have not gained any knowledge regarding educational standards in Haiti.

At the orphanage, volunteers that have been coming for a few weeks at a time, have been starting some great things.  The staff and volunteers are working to set up classrooms that are more age-appropriate.  The director of the orphanage, Jon Lamare, is working on the children's educational goals for the upcoming year.  These plans help to develop each child's individual life plan and helps them adjust the programming to meet the  individual needs of the children.  They are trying to engage children in developmentally appropriate play which we all know with help foster many skills.  They have started a positive reinforcement behavior program.  One volunteer has started memory books with the children.  The children add an entry to their books every afternoon.  These entries include things like favorite food, favorite color, favorite subject in school, what they want to be when they get older, etc.  This book is not only helping to build a sense of identity, but is also a great form of assessment for the staff.

The orphanage has also been providing 2 healthy meals, education, medical care, clothes, shoes, and school tuition/enrollment for an additional 7-10 children in the community daily.