Creole Lesson: "Panye" and "Gol"

As Espwa children have been working hard in class everyday, one of their favorite things to do when they are not studying is play soccer. You can hear the boys shouting “panye!,” or “shoot!,” to their teammates, and an echoing “gol!” when they score. While the older boys may be out on the field at practice, the younger boys are in the village passing around and sharing laughs. We hope you can get outside today too, and maybe practice your Creole skills along the way!

Teacher Spotlight: Kindergarten

In honor of this month being dedicated to all things back-to-school, we would like to introduce you to one of the teachers who works here at Espwa! This is Madam Yvelyne; she has been teaching for one year and she works with the kindergarteners here at Pwoje Espwa. Madam Yvelyne says her favorite subjects to teach are writing, reading, and oral communication in French. She also loves to watch her students play! For each of her students, she hopes they can continue onto the next class and succeed throughout their schooling. "Mwen renmen tout bagay nan Pwoje a. Tout bagay la bon." ("I love everything about Pwoje Espwa. Everything here is good.")

New Members of the Espwa Family

Espwa extends a warm welcome to the newest members of our family!

In the beginning of September, about 40 boys and girls under the age of 6 were met with smiles and hugs as they arrived at Espwa. As they continue to adjust to their surroundings, they grow more comfortable every day they share with their new friends. They have been attending school for the last few weeks, where they laugh and sing all day. We are excited to watch them learn and grow over the years!

Byenveni timoun!

Bright Smiles for a New School Year

Over the past three days, a returning dental group was here at Pwoje Espwa. From the moment they arrived, they hit the ground running; over the course of two and a half days, they were able to see 325 patients! All children 7 years old and older at Espwa were seen by the dentists, as well as house mothers, Espwa staff, and members of the surrounding community.  On their last day, the Ministry of Health dedicated a beautiful plaque to the group for the years of support they have given to Haiti’s children as a token of their gratitude. There is no way to describe the effect they have on these children’s lives, all in a short period of time. We are endlessly thankful and are so lucky to have them as a part of our Espwa family.

 Their visit came at the perfect time because today was the first day of school! All kids were able to attend school in their fresh uniforms with bright, beautiful smiles. We look forward to a happy and healthy year of learning for all of our children!