Growing fast!

We successfully completed our second week of the IHEC (Integrated Healing and Education Centers) program for children at our base. Monitors are stepping into their own comfortable rhythm with the children and are providing a wide range of educational play activities. The monitors were assisted this week by eight student volunteers from Wesleyan College who offered a range of talents from playing guitar to demonstrating gymnastics. The children are starting to feel the flow of the daily activities while getting to know each other gradually in this safe space. At the end of each session, children implore to stay longer!

The IHEC central staff provides for various levels of coordination and support to the growing program. The central coordination consists of administrative, logistical, educational and community organizers. The administrative coordinators facilitate the organizational flow of the program. The logistical coordinator provides support for materials and supplies, transportation and accounting. At the heart of the program, the education coordinator oversees the staff of trainers, coaches and onsite monitors. The trainers are responsible for providing and modeling exemplary activity plans for the on-site monitors. They will be traveling to each site to make observations and support the monitors’ growth. The trainers are also developing training modules which will be offered at the Center for Neo-Humanist Education (CENEOH) and at the various sites. Modules will include activity planning, positive discipline, self-care, safe touch, active listening, group norms, and play therapy.

While the coaches continued to model student-centered activities at Delmas, the IHEC trainers continued preparations for the opening of three more sites. The engineer is overseeing the construction of several wooden pavilions at Cineas Camp and the installation of large tents at Petionville Club and Bureau de Min. Over 650 children were registered for the opening of programs at Petionville Club and Bureau de Min. The upcoming week will see a flurry of activity as we continue to expand our program and serve the deserving Haitian youth.