The sign above could roughly be translated as: “We take pride in our community!” (Or literally, “Our Community is Our Pride!”)
May 1 was Agricultural Day in Haiti, and the school was in charge of planning an activity to celebrate. They organized a day for the kids to clean up the neighborhood–collecting trash, pulling up weeds, etc. However, they didn’t make it a school activity alone! They put heads together with Hospitality and Development for a Lemuel-wide affair…all the staff and the school kids participating together.
To kick it off, they held a soccer match: Development vs the School!
Development made the first goal!!! And their fans (ie, the hospitality ladies) went wild!
(I was so disappointed, because I thought I caught the hospitality ladies on video when development made their goal. They were hilariously ecstatic! But I must have pushed the wrong button, and I missed the video after all.)
A little later, the School made a goal. They, of course, had a whole troupe of little fans! But everyone (even those cheering for Development) was in on the fun together, as you can see below.
The match ended with a dubious second goal by Development. No one could quite agree as to whether it was under the goal bar or over the goal bar. No matter! Everyone had great fun and was energized for the work ahead.
While hospitality made everybody lunch, the school and development staff headed out to clean up the neighborhood. Some pulled up weedy underbrush.
Some cut back renegade thorn trees.
These little ones gathered plastic, paper, old soda bottles, and other trash.
(No, that’s not a ninja in the middle of the photo. That’ just Wesnet from the development staff trying to keep sun off his head and the dust out of his mouth.)
Not only is it a joy to see all our staff playing, working, and laughing together to make their community better, but it is also a great opportunity for the kids to learn through participation. Education is important both in the classroom and applied without. This community will be a different place in the generations to come!
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