79 Years of Love - Happy birthday, Matant!

Last week was our dear Matant’s birthday! She turned 79 years old.

“Matant” means “Aunt” in Creole, which perfectly describes the role she plays at Pwoje Espwa. Since its founding, Matant has stood faithfully by Father Marc’s side. In the first years, Denise, which is Matant’s formal name, provided care and education to the kids at Espwa, acting as their house mother, spiritual guide, and teacher. She now works alongside of 25 house mothers, a liturgy team, and social workers giving them advice and wisdom on how best to care for the 300 children of Pwoje Espwa. Needless to say, she is an incredible woman.

We celebrated the day by decorating her house as a surprise, singing and praying together, and enjoying delicious cake. It was a very special day for a very special woman!

As Matant gets older, she experiences more aches and pains daily, especially in her legs and feet. Her eyesight is also very poor. Please remember her in your prayers this week, asking for health and expressing thanks for her service to Pwoje Espwa.

Palm Sunday

This morning we celebrated Palm Sunday at Pwoje Espwa. Just like Jesus walked into Jerusalem 7 days before being crucified, house mothers, staff, visitors and children gathered in front of the Quad and walked toward the chapel with palms in our hands. Before leaving, Matante was sure to remind the kids not to “...rip the palms or throw them on the ground. They are holy.” (Of course, some couldn’t help themselves and by the end of Mass many were sporting interesting palm bracelets and crowns and the church floor was decorated with palms.)

Walking towards the chapel.

Ferlando really enjoying his palm. 

Mass with Father Gregoire was beautiful and included a recitation of The Passion put on by some of the older kids. The service ended with everyone singing together joyfully in unison as we prepare for Good Friday and Easter Sunday next week.

The Passion

And tonight… a special dinner of PIZZA will be enjoyed by the kids thanks to Sam and his trusty crew of pizza experts! Yum!

International Women's Day

Thursday of this past week was International Women’s Day! Without women, Pwoje Espwa simply could not function. Women here are house mothers, cooks, and administrators. They are firm and kind, intelligent and generous, strong and understanding. They are truly what keeps our Espwa family moving forward.  

The women of Espwa gathered in the chapel on Friday to celebrate the special day and to discuss the challenges of womanhood and how we can overcome them together. Afterwards, sodas and snacks were shared.  Songs were sung as well. An example of one of these beautiful tunes is below:

“Famn yo, nou se rozo. Nou se rozo, se rozo nou ye. Lè lapli tonbe, nou pouse, nap boujane.”

“Women, we are reeds. We are reeds, reeds we are. When the rain falls, we grow, we are thriving.”

Here’s to strong women all over the world! Their strength and resilience are an inspiration to us all.

What is "Kanaval"?

What is “Kanaval”?

“Kanaval” (Carnival) in Haiti is a colorful and exciting time of year. Starting in January, Haitians begin to celebrate the period of time leading up to Mardi Gras (Fat Tuesday) on weekends, which is the last day before Ash Wednesday. Many enjoy listening to upbeat and repetitive music that asks listeners to “Jump!”, “Dance!” and “Spin your shirts above your heads!”. One example of Kanaval music is below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bYfrTCqhud4

On the days leading up to Mardi Gras, the celebrations are at their peak. Haitians deck themselves out in multicolored outfits, some shower themselves in glitter, and others wear masks. Many carry maracas in their hands to shake to the never-ending joyful tunes. In major cities like Port-au-Prince, Les Cayes, Cap Haïtiene, and Jacmel the celebrations are especially vibrant. Party-goers meet somewhere central in the city to follow floats adorned with colorful decorations and dance to the songs of  famous musicians performing live atop the floats for all to hear.

What does it look like at Espwa?

This is a special holiday and cultural tradition for Haitians and, of course, the kids at Pwoje Espwa love to celebrate along with their country. This year masks, hats, and glitter were purchased for the kids to wear on the Monday before Mardi Gras. With schools closed for the holiday, the kids all met outside on the big field to listen to Kanaval music, dance and celebrate with their peers. Huge speakers blasted music and a DJ came to play the most popular Kanaval tunes. Everyone had a blast!