Martel’s Perspective
3rd and 4th year students
Day 3: Le Pepiniere Emmanuel School in Cap Haitien. After breakfast at the hotel, we set off into or first day at the school. I was expecting it to be a little outside the city with big classrooms and lots of students and an area for students to play soccer during their breaks. That was not at all what we found. It was a narrow three story building in the middle of a street block with a tin roof, and the smallest classrooms. Three classrooms with 70 students crammed into an area equivalent to one classroom with 20 kids in the US. That was not the only thing that surprised me. The students and teachers didn't even have paper and notebooks to take notes in! Just a chalkboard for each class and a shared piece of chalk among the teachers--no joke. The kids and teachers were so welcoming to us, and helped us get whatever we needed (water, a space to work, help carrying our stuff up the stairs). Gracie, Sarah, and I were in a smaller classroom constructing journals with students. We had some translators helping us write their names, but most of it was done by the students there.
Everyone else in our group was taking pictures of the students for the CPP Education Angels program or observing the teachers. Each student has to pay tuition to come to this school and many cannot afford it. The Educations Angels program helps find people in the U.S. that would be willing to sponsor a child. It is awesome to see how this program can REALLY help these kids and this school.
Students practicing basic writing
Building journals with the students
Students loved Jessica!
Once during the day, Jessica was shouting out English days of the week and numbers, and all the students would repeat them to her. I could hear it from the other side of the wall, and they seemed to be having so much fun. Overall, it was so great to see all those students in school and off of the streets, but there is still a long way to go. Tomorrow will be another day working with the students and teachers, and I can't wait! --Martel
P.S. I want Kari to know we ate at her favorite cafe (La Kay) today, and it was so good!
