World AIDS Day - learning to be healthy global citizens!

On Friday, November 30th, students and staff recognized World AIDS Day in the classroom!

Each secondary school class (in their brand new classrooms!) held a one-hour session where they discussed the disease - what it is, how it is transmitted and its effects, and how they can be responsible for the health and well-being of their bodies. The Child Development staff and teachers worked together, handing out informational pamphlets, leading presentations, and answering student questions.

World AIDS Day takes place every December 1st as an opportunity for people worldwide to unite in the fight against HIV, to show support for those in our global community who are living with the virus, and to commemorate those who have lost their lives to an AIDS-related illness. 

We are proud of our staff members for their solidarity with their global citizens, and are grateful to be able to provide educational opportunities that better the lives and health of our residents and students. 

Thank you to all who made this event possible!

Christ The King Sunday Celebrations

On Sunday, November 25th, the children and staff on campus celebrated Christ the King Sunday and the anniversary of the Pwoje Espwa children's choir. The Echo de Jenn - "Echo of Young People" - choir blessed us with beautiful music throughout the service, which was followed by a reception for friends and family.

We are so grateful for the leadership at Pwoje Espwa for providing opportunities for our students to participate in meaningful activities like leading worship services. Thank you for your continued support!

Echo de Jenn Choir looking beautiful in white and blue!

Matant in her Sunday best!

The girls danced beautifully in celebration of Christ the King Sunday during the service.

Halloween Fun!

The kids had a ton of fun last week celebrating Halloween in the guest house! 

They spent the afternoon transforming from children into adorable mice, queens, and everything in between! When that didn't tire them out, they created colorful drawings and played very animated games of freeze dance.  Each "boo-tiful" child indulged with a piece of candy in tradition of trick-or-treating in the United States.

We love being able to provide opportunities for the kids to have fun and share in cross-cultural learning. We hope everyone's Halloween was as "gourd" as ours. 

Happy Friday!

Meet the new guest house managers!

We’re excited to introduce you to our new guest house managers, Corinne and Kathryn! 

Corinne (left) and Kathryn (right)

Corinne arrived at Pwoje Espwa in June, spending her first month shadowing the previous managers and assisting with the summer camp program. She is from Silver Spring, Maryland and earned her bachelor’s in government and politics from the University of Maryland. 

Kathryn arrived on campus last month, and is excited to work with the kids and with Corinne on all of their upcoming projects. She is from Macon, Georgia and earned her undergraduate degree in international affairs from Georgia Tech. 

Corinne and Kathryn met while earning their master’s in public policy at the University of Maryland before coming to work at Pwoje Espwa Sud together. They look forward to welcoming all of our visitors this year!

Free the Kids is grateful for the two years of service from Emma and Lizzy! Their leadership and compassion for all who work with Pwoje Espwa Sud will be sorely missed, and never forgotten.

Best of luck to Corinne and Kathryn as they make Espwa home and become a part of the work that God is doing in Les Cayes! 

Are you interested in visiting Pwoje Espwa to learn more about our mission, meet the kids and dedicated staff, and have a cross-cultural experience? 

Reach out to the Communications Coordinator at liz.wynne@freethekids.org with any questions!

Food Distribution Benefits 200 Individuals and Families

Today, we were happy to extend our hands to our friends in the surrounding community with food support.

Around 200 individuals and their families were provided with a week's worth of food, distributed from the food depot on campus. Several large bars of soap were also included in the food bags.

The distribution was made possible through the efforts of our new security guards in-training and other Espwa employees who ensured bags were distributed smoothly. Community leaders also lent a helping hand, managing the sign up list and organizing the arrivals of benefactors. 

It always makes our hearts full when we can support those in the community surrounding Pwoje Espwa. When we all come together to support others and share God's love, we are reminded of the warmth of the human spirit.

Thank you to everyone who made today possible!

Another Record-Breaking Year for Annual Dental Clinic

Over Labor Day weekend, Doctor Chuck Tozzer’s Dental Care for Children mobile clinic swept into Les Cayes, Haiti to hold their annual clinic for Espwa children, families and the surrounding community.  

In 2.5 full days, Dr. Tozzer's dental "A-Team," as he likes to call them, saw 397 people in all - breaking their old record by 50 patients!

They served 269 resident children and Espwa staff members, and another 128 individuals from the surrounding community, including families of staff members.

More than $200,000 in dental services was provided by the group - an incredibly generous gift and investment in healthy futures. 

That's amazing!

Did you know... dental hygiene is critical for your overall health!

Your oral hygiene can be an indicator of your overall health. Keeping your mouth clean and healthy can help prevent the incidence of several different infections and diseases and can decrease your risk of serious health problems like heart attacks, strokes, and diabetes.

We are SO grateful for Dr. Tozzer and Dental Care for Children for their big hearts, their dedication through long, sweaty days, and their passion for bringing big, pearly smiles to children at Espwa and all over the world.

Thank you, DCFC!! 

Check out all of the amazing things DCFC is doing for children all over the world by visiting their website - http://www.dentalcareforchildren.org/

Partners Help Extend ESPWA (Hope)

A few months ago, Espwa hosted a Box of Joy event to more than 500 handicapped children in Les Cayes, Haiti.

This event would not have been possible without the help of the Bureau de Secretaire d’Etat a L’Integration des Personnes Handicappees, which provided transportation to the event for handicap children in schools throughout the south of Haiti.

This organization facilitates help for both adults and children with a range of handicaps, both physical and mental.  

Unfortunately, resources for individuals with handicaps are extremely scarce in Haiti.  Schools are over-crowded, lack skilled staff, or are too difficult to access by families with handicapped children.  Many children and adults go without much-needed therapy, medical treatment, and equipment to help them reach their fullest potential on a day-to-day basis.

During our Box of Joy event, many parents were carrying their disabled children because of the lack of equipment such as wheelchairs, crutches, and other aids to provide mobility.  

Through our in-country partnerships with other organizations, we have been able to extend our reach to some of these children and adults by facilitating the delivery of equipment --- bringing hope to many families. 

THANK YOU to all of our Partners that help us extend hope throughout the south of Haiti!

Check out that smile!

A Fruitful Summer at Espwa

Today at Pwoje Espwa, we kicked off summer camp – “kan ete a” – with love! Over the next 8 weeks, the children and staff at Espwa will be participating in a variety of fun activities while exploring the values of the 12 Fruits of the Holy Spirit.

Love

Charity

Generosity

Patience

Kindness

Modesty

Self-Control

Goodness

Gentleness

Faith

Joy

For our staff, the goal of this new summer program is to provide the children at Pwoje Espwa formation in four different categories: independent living/community service, spiritual/moral development, job exploration, and sports/activities.

Each week of camp will have a theme that focuses on one or two of the 12 Fruits of the Holy Spirit. The kids are split into three different teams by age group: Butterflies (ages 3-7), Panthers (ages 8-13), and Eagles (ages 14-18).

Here's what a day at camp - Monday through Saturday - will look like on campus this summer:

·      Every morning of the week, a staff member will lead all of the children in a discussion centered on the week’s theme.

·      After the morning meeting, the Butterflies and the Panthers will split into their age groups to participate in an activity that carries on the message of the morning’s discussion. At this time, the Eagles will have the ability to rotate between different “internships” at departments around campus.

·      Later on, all of the kids have the ability to choose an activity for the duration of the morning. These range from arts & crafts, dance, chorale, sports/physical activity, computer class, and English lessons.

·      They will gather again in the afternoons for Bible study/discussions on morality, a movie, a talent show, or a soccer game.  

What did we do today?

While much of the morning covered a general explanation of the camp schedule and the staff’s expectations for the summer, it also included a whole lot of fun!

The first fruit we placed on our Tree of the Holy Spirit – 

“Pyebwa Lespri Sen an” – was Love! 

Together we talked about what love is – 

“sharing everything you have with one another,” 

“love makes your heart happy,” 

“love makes you live” – 

and what love looks like when you share it with others – 

“hugs,” 

“union,” 

“giving your hand."

After our discussion on love, the kids learned how to say “I love you” in sign language and smothered each other in hugs. They were then able to choose their very first activities of camp – campus was pulsing with energy as kids were drawing and painting, playing soccer, singing loudly, counting to 10 in English, and sharing smiles. 

It was a warm start to a love-filled week, and a full summer! We are excited to have the collaboration of our diverse and talented staff as they work closely with the kids over the upcoming months to provide them with a summer of fun, learning and exploration.

Stay updated on camp activities over the next two months by 

following our Facebook page, website and blog!