While
this post is for everyone, it will have special meaning for those who
have visited us over the years. Ashley, Shannon, Adrienne, Tanya, David,
Kathleen, Mark, Pat, Amy, Laura, Alex, Marisa and on and on came before we had a
home in Sen Rafayel and traveled up and down Granjil Mountain in an
unsafe, dirty, overloaded bus, bearing the travel with patience, while
fending off the chickens and goats that longed to be outside and free.
Daniel came to visit while we were in a rented mud hut. Nico, Robin,
Alice, Yvonne, Marjorie, Marilyn, Kathy and Monica.... lived through
various stages of building Lakay Jasmine and had the pleasure of riding
in our first vehicle, a decrepit Mitsubishi truck with the heart of a
lion. Everyone stayed in our rental home in Cap-Haitien, sharing space
with staff and students who invade the place daily. Thanks to our most
recent visitor Kim who toured the pink house (kay woz) and gave it 2
thumbs up before we began the negotiating process.
Thanks
to Jasmine Foundation the Mitsubishi is now enjoying retirement at the
home of mechanic Max in Sen Rafayel, replaced by a spiffy Nissan pickup.
And after 17 years, Starthrower has a home of it's own as of Tuesday.
We have been looking for 3 years for land or house that would meet our
growing needs. Before I left Haiti we met with the notary and owner of
the property we had chosen. After making a healthy deposit to the owner,
and many weeks of legal surprises both good and bad, Auguste closed
the deal Tuesday and had the keys in his hand by late afternoon.
I
wanted to give you a mini tour but Blogger is not cooperating today.
That's another story. Welcome to Lakay Jasmine Okap ( or Lakay
Fondasyon as she is our flagship). Yes it
is pink - woz in Kreyol. There has been a great deal of discussion among
friends, family, staff as to the colour. Keep it and freshen up or
change? Without doubt it will be changed. But everything will happen in
its own time. We will move from our rental which has given us a roof and
security for 11 years to a new chapter.
Resettlement
will take place in July - Auguste is already changing locks and meeting
with kontremets to level the lot and pave 3/4 of it with interlocking
blocks. The other quarter will be garden. Two floors means the complete
first floor for programs, staff and drop in center and the second floor
for visitors, me and the dogs. As we have been in a furnished rental, it
needs the basics - tables, chairs, appliances, beds, dressers...
This
trip was very brief because of the work waiting. In Sen Rafayel, a
small notice inside the center indicating that we would accept letters
of request for admission for those who had been unable to attend school
for at least a year resulted in 203 letters arriving in the first 3
weeks of May. We moved the cutoff date up due to the volume of letters
and the knowledge that we just don't have the funds. Did I mention that I
really dislike waiting lists? In Cap-Haitien we did not post the
information because of the upcoming move and still word spread down the
mountain. We received hundreds of requests and accepted 99 from those
who qualified . We stopped counting at both locations after receiving
more than 500 requests from those in school this year.
Meet a few of those waiting for admission:
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| Kervensly |
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| Emave |
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| Yvrose |
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| Nerlie |
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| Jacqueline |
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| Benchilove |
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| Aniel |
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| Daiska |
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| Gasline |
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| Evenel |
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| Martin |
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| Walky |
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| Miliode |
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| Marieline |
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| Doudeline |
 |
Laurence
If
any of these faces speak to you, please contact me through our website
for more information. If you would like to sponsor a student, or would
like to form a group to sponsor a student and none of these speak to
you, I have another 281 requests from this year.
There are also approximately 125 left from last year. I used to say
Welcome to my world -- making major decisions which will affect these
young people for the rest of their lives is monumental -- who gets a
chance and who doesn't. I have revised that - now it's Welcome
to my work - work that stays with me wherever and whenever I am. I consciously made the change because it's our world - yours, mine and theirs. Paul Farmer
said it succinctly
"The idea that some lives matter
less is the root of all that is wrong
with this world."
So
lets think and work ecologically to pull up those roots - one at a time
if necessary. Demonstrate by our actions that every life matters. We
can do that by saying yes to everyone who qualifies for support and by
continuing to grow. All we need is money.
Thanks
to returning sponsor Kathy for taking on Youseline, new sponsors
Ingrid for sponsoring Eveline, Frank and Daniela for picking up
Macline and Nikki for sponsoring Marckenson.
Thanks
to Cindy Storey for her Shake your Soul fundraiser - a joyful night of
movement and dance and I suspect the start of something bigger. Thanks
to Kim Webb, owner of Euphoria for her 'Dirt Cookie' fundraiser which is
sponsoring Jackenson for the final 2 years of high school.
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| Eveline - sponsored |
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| Macline - sponsored |
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| Marckenson - sponsored |
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| Jackenson - sponsored |
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Sponsors
come in all ages and sizes, employed, retired, self employed,
student.... Fundraising comes from ideas - an idea as creative as a
night of Shake your Soul or a gourmet cookie called a 'Dirt Cookie',
evoking the reality for many Haitiens of eating mud baked in the sun to
ward off hunger. Any idea that raises awareness and educates is a good
idea. If it also raises funds, it a bonus.
No life matter less than another. Everyone counts. Everyone deserves 'possibilite'.
Planning
a trip? Think a new destination - Ayiti Cherie. Looking for a cause
that is just and will change the world? Take on a Starthrower student.
Namaste
Sharon
