YOU make a DIFFERENCE! Thank you!
We are excited to share the activities in August with you.
Don't miss the video at the end of our post!
Hurricane Response
In the final days of August, Tropical Storm Laura battered Haiti with several inches of rain and winds up to 85 mph. Thankfully, our team in Haiti stayed safe and only experienced hard rain in the South, but we know that other regions of the country were not so fortunate. Reports from some of our partners, as well as footage surfacing online, show extreme flooding through streets and along overflowed rivers.
We continue to pray for those who have lost loved ones, homes, crops and livestock due to the storm.
Because of Haiti’s vulnerability when it comes to natural disasters, we remain committed to our community sustainability projects. Located at the furthest tip of Haiti you’ll find Tiburon, a remote, rural community of about 700 families. Our team has been working hard on our community sustainability project in this section of Tiburon for families most vulnerable to hurricanes and tropical storms. By providing families with disaster-proof dome structures for housing, we are equipping this community to sustain itself, even when disaster strikes.
Earlier in the month of August, we began with a devoted reminder that CHILDREN are the CENTER of healthy, thriving communities!
Overture International and ESPWA are committed to empowering families and providing children with the best opportunities to develop. While ESPWA’s programs focus on child development and empowering families, Overture broadens its reach by offering community and economic development.
By creating economic opportunities and bolstering basic community infrastructure, families can utilize their training to take advantage of local resources and build a healthy, sustainable life for their children.
A healthy community produces healthy children. Healthy children become healthy, productive adults. Healthy adults commit to building strong communities - and THAT’S how we support empowered, independent futures!
International Youth Day
This month we celebrated International Youth day and the many students we see thriving in our ESPWA schools and communities! The resilience these students have shown is remarkable. We believe youth are the future of Haiti, and we love supporting them as they pursue their dreams. Click here is to watch a video celebrating our Youth!
World Humanitarian Day
On August 19th, we celebrated World Humanitarian Day and thanked our partners, staff, volunteers and donors who are committed to our work in Haiti. We also gave a special thanks to all the administrators and teachers at ESPWA school who are ensuring a safe return for students to complete their 2019-20 school year exams so that 2020-21 gets off to a good start. They are truly heroes in our eyes!
Students return to finish the 2019-20 school year
This month, our 1,600+ students returned to finish out the 2019-20 school year. The school year was an unconventional one, as it started late due to political unrest and finished early because of COVID-19. It was so encouraging to see students returning to their classrooms for final exams, as well as our team of social workers, principals and childcare professionals meeting with the parents in preparation for the upcoming school year.
By engaging parents in conversations about how they can support their child at home, we nurture relationships that give children the self-confidence and motivation they need to be stellar students! We’re also eagerly anticipating the start of the 2020-21 school, which is set to begin in November.
August Spotlight on Local Entrepreneurs
During August, we introduced Jacqueline, our Kitchen Manager at ESPWA. Jacqueline lives with her husband Jocelin and three children they adopted. Her mother and three brothers also live close to her home – all of whom are Jacqueline's responsibility. Even with the weight of caring for a large family on her shoulders, Jacqueline's joy shines through as she works in the kitchen at ESPWA, providing food to our students there. We are so grateful for her choosing to be a part of this mission, providing healthy and nutritious food to our many students.
Click Here to read about our Education Programs.
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