-Thanksgiving in Haiti- During the week of Thanksgiving we had visitors! Arriving from the United States, our visitors spent an exhilarating week teaching classes, learning about the school, and helping out with work projects around campus. From cataloging books in the library, to cleaning out the incinerator, to washing the floor of the chapel, they truly embodied the mission of the school: If you don't work, you don't eat. Fun stuff. Thanksgiving Day was a pretty normal day except after clean-up time (netwaye) we had our much-anticipated American Football game. Probably the most memorable part of the game was when our quarterback (a volunteer) gave these directions: "Now, I want you to go deep to the incinerator..."
After the game, we all showered and then shared a delicious Thanksgiving feast alongside the guests, the president of the project and his family, the American volunteers, and the Haitian Staff (About 45 people in total). The variety of food easily surpassed my usual Thanksgiving meal in the USA...
-"Man-up" Weekend- One of the most important programs at LCS is "Celebrate Women," which is held on weekends throughout the year and focuses on empowering the female students at the school. Culturally, socially, and economically there remain many barriers to women's empowerment, but Louverture Cleary has successfully eliminated one: disproportionate representation in higher education. Yes, Louverture Cleary has finally reached parity in terms of the physical number of males and females attending the school. This might sound like a small feat when we think of the USA, but in Haiti this is significant. In addition, it brought a smile to my face when I learned that the best students in the older classes(Rheto and Philo) are female (10 of the top 12).
Naturally, the male students on campus have begun to feel a little "left out" and so we have started "Man-up" weekends for the oldest male students to emphasize responsibility, good leadership, and the importance of a stable family life. Our first weekend was held December 4th and it went very well as we had the proper mixture of fun/games and serious discussions. The weekend kicked off smoothly with a basketball tournament of randomized teams. Following basketball, we had a series of talks Friday afternoon and Saturday morning, which were led by several alumni as well as the principal and the head of discipline. Friday evening we watched a movie, Remember the Titans, and we enjoyed popcorn and iced cokes. Following the movie, we discussed the different leadership styles of the two coaches and the kids continue to impress me with their insights. One of my Philo students said it best when he told me that it was one of the most meaningful experiences he had ever had at LCS.
-Christmas Approaching- As the calendar turned to December, you could sense the anticipation growing among the kids as all of a sudden interest and attention ran elsewhere.
In my final class of the season, I allowed my students a treat: we played a game. But yes, they still had to use their English - we played an alternative form of "Boggle". I gave them 10 random letters and told them to in groups make as many English words as they could. After 5 minutes each group would write their list on the board and the group with the most correct words got a point. Pretty fun stuff, especially as they got really in-to the game.
The last day of "class" was actually a school-wide Christmas celebration. Among the festivities was a "highly anticipated" staff versus Philo basketball game. 3 of my students in particular had been trash talking me for weeks about the upcoming game. Sadly, the staff did not show up to play (a lot of bad shots, some poor teamwork) and the philo kids won by 5. But trust me, there will be a rematch...
With the Christmas celebration comes the holiday season and a break from school - a four week break in fact. I have returned to the USA to spend Christmas with my family and I will roaming about until early January. In theory, I should be more accessible either by phone or email. Looking back, it was a wonderful semester, full of joy, hope, inspiration, and opportunity. I know of no better visual that demonstrates what the students of Louverture Cleary are capable for doing for Haiti...
Merry Christmas!
