July 9-23, 2008

Dear Friends of Jeremie,

Deborah and Mary Forhan, an early childhood education specialist who just happens to be Deborah’s sister, led a summer enrichment camp at the orphanage in Jeremie. Twenty-eight children learned about electricity, magnets, anatomy, and seeds. 

The Haitian education system includes a large recitation component, because there are so few materials in the classroom the teacher’s primary technique is to read new material out loud, have the children repeat it back, then discuss it. Due to the children’s amazing ability to focus on what is being taught and memorize it quickly, we were able to cover a large amount of English vocabulary and pronunciation (Haitians struggle with “th”) and still have lots of time for math, art, and music.  

A major accomplishment of the older children at the orphanage was completing a mural of the world on their school courtyard wall. The younger children focused on preparing and planting nine “tire gardens.” Several varieties of squash, melons and beans were already sprouted by the time we left.

A highlight for Mary and Deborah was attending a Methodist Revival in a jungle clearing about 1½ hours from Jeremie by a pitted and washed out road.

In addition to the large quantity of art and school supplies taken to Haiti for the summer camp volunteers were able to provide:

• Food, towels (for the children to wrap themselves up in at night), and toys were delivered to an orphanage in Roseaux.

• Food was delivered to the Good Samaritan Home for Seniors in Jeremie and a budget was prepared for repairs of the home.

• Hygiene supplies were delivered to midwives at the medical clinic in Gebeau.

• A sewing machine was delivered to the orphanage to make school uniforms and funds were left to repair the old machine.

• Sewing supplies, fabric, notions, etc accompanied the sewing machine so the older girls could learn to sew.

• School and art supplies were taken to the school.

While Deborah and Mary were the ones able to go and work in Haiti for two weeks they would not have been able to accomplish as much with the summer enrichment program or the delivery of numerous other donations without the support of a large number of supporters and donors. We are very grateful for all they did to make the trip a success!