Overture and ESPWA share a commitment to strengthening families, providing the best opportunity for children to develop.
July reminded us that although the world feels unpredictable and messy right now, there is power in the support of community! Here are some of the highlights of our July activities at ESPWA and throughout the communities in Southern Haiti.
Watch the video at the end of all the activities YOU made possibly in July!
FAMILY PRESERVATION
This month, we introduced you to the JN Claude family. This family of nine was living in a one-room hut with tin scraps for their roof - becoming more at risk with each storm that passed. With your support, we empowered the surrounding community and hired local crews to build a new home for this family. We also provided support for education and farming to supplement family nutrition, along with family counseling and income mentoring!
EMPOWERING LOCAL ENTREPRENEURS
We also introduced a new series we'll be
sharing over the coming months: Empowering Local Entrepreneurs. Because Overture International is a long-term solution and not a short-term fix, we believe in empowering local entrepreneurs to support their own communities. It's about their involvement, not our intervention.
DAILY PRAYER AT ESPWA
Daily prayer meetings at ESPWA establish a grounding in FAITH.
In July, the Haitian government announced that churches were allowed to slowly and carefully reopen. Because the love of God drives our mission work, this was something to celebrate! ESPWA has continued to hold daily prayer meetings in the Youth Activity Center for the children, but we're looking forward to resuming full services soon!
NUTRITION UPDATE
Over the last year, Overture secured more than 500,000 meals for vulnerable families in Haiti, including school lunches at ESPWA. And when schools closed, we distributed meal packages to families to ensure the students received a nutritious meal. Our Regional Director, Jocelyn Nelson even distributed nutritious meal packages to families on his way to Tiburon!
Every day, staff at ESPWA provide a hot meal to 50+ walk-ins from the surrounding community who may not otherwise be able to feed themselves or their families. While this is a service that has been provided at ESPWA for many years, during times of crisis, it is most needed.
Long-term food security is our GOAL!
Overture and ESPWA provide opportunities for local farmers to expand their crops through the Community Farm Program. Supporting local farmers, provides food for their families and communities, and empowers the local economy.
We will be sharing more about this program over the next few months!
CELEBRATING GRADUATES FROM OUR YOUNG ADULT EMPOWERMENT PROGRAM
This month, we shared that the word "Overture" means an opening or introduction to something more substantial. That's what our Young Adult Empowerment Program is all about: inspiring young adults to envision opportunities that will help them develop professional skills, confidence and determination to rise above poverty!
In July at ESPWA, we celebrated a group of young adults as they successfully completed this 2-year program. In partnership with CFRAPS, a local counseling and psychological center, each student gained vocational training, education, and attended workshops to help them develop personally and gain employment. Many of them have already entered the workforce or have impressive business plans! We look forward to seeing the positive impact they will have in their communities!
HURRICANE READY
As a country, Haiti is at great risk when it comes to natural disasters, and so during hurricane season, we are in a state of being constantly alert. That means that we're carefully monitoring any storm updates and are prepared to provide support as needed for the vulnerable children, families, and communities there. It's also the reason we empower local community members to build disaster resilient housing, offering safety from these natural disasters.
The same disaster-proof dome structures built at ESPWA are being built for a community along the coastline of Tiburon. By building disaster-proof homes for this community, we're ensuring sustainability, even in the face of storms!
GETTING READY FOR SCHOOL
With the uprooting of the school year and the upcoming reopening of schools in Haiti, students at ESPWA are keeping their minds active in creative ways – like putting on a spelling bee!
The children dance to music between turns and cheer each other on when questions are answered correctly. Not only are they practicing their spelling, but also their ability to listen, respect others as they speak or make mistakes, and support their peers.
We’ve never been more aware of the importance of both education and the school itself. For more reasons than we can count, it’s been a year of crisis for our students.
We are looking forward to the return of our students on AUGUST 17th to take their exams and wrap up the 2019-2020 school year!
Click Here to read about our Education Programs.
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