Education Haiti Project #18806

2022 Vocational Training for Families

by Little Footprints, Big Steps - IDO

Project Report | Mar 10, 2017
Yes, we CAN Rise to the Challenge!

By Karen Wienberg | Chair, Board of Directors

Learning and Growing...Financial Literacy Training

The co-founder and Head of Haiti Operations, Morgan Wienberg, a fitness enthusiast when she gets the chance, recently reflected that “Life is like a workout: When you accept a challenge - try something difficult, or new, or heavier than you're used to handling - that is when you grow. That is when you learn that you're stronger than you thought!” In the short months since the devastation of Hurricane Matthew, the examples of our children, families, staff and communities rising to the challenges are everywhere! New skills are being learned with lots of opportunity to practice, stronger teams and new capacity to achieve is being realized.

Homes have, and are, being built and repaired in Hurricane aftermath, led by LFBS staff and workers including the family members as well as LFBS youth as skills training for components of home building. Having a basic shelter is a huge step forward - and being part of the team that makes that happen...priceless! (photos)

Other specific training workshops were underway through the past months to build the capacity, confidence and knowledge-base of our staff and partners - and the youth whose leadership and energy is rising quickly! Multi-day training sessions included: Informed Trauma Care training workshops, with UNICEF for training in the identification and referencing protocol for malnourished children, Gender Based Violence with OXFAM(photo). The youth involved in the Ocean Marine Training Institute also attended a special Personal Finance Management workshop. (photo)A special multiday workshop to begin building practical skills toward a possible career as an Esthetician was provided to those currently staying at the Girls Safehouse as well as those young women that have been reunited with their families in the Les Cayes area. Fun and informative for all involved! (photo)

Outreach and Advocacy - Medical and Agriculture. Our Outreach Medical team continues to provide consultations and care to children and families in both Les Cayes area and the communities of the southern peninsula. Agriculture training and replanting continues under the expertise of LFBS’s local Agronomists and specially trained Youth Leaders. Replanting crops and trees – all of which were destroyed, during harvest time, in the hurricane, will mean not only food security, but provide opportunity for income as well. Re-establishing crops, nurseries, and grassland is also a critical aspect to support the ecosystem and environmental recovery. (photo)

Even after all of the trauma and loss over the past few months, the chlidren and youth were proud and excited to help spread the message during Karnival – wearing t-shirts bearing the same message and logos of the large banner they carried – joined in the parade down the main streets! "Pwoteje timoun yo se Konstwi yon demen miyo! Protecting children is building a better tomorrow!" (photo)

Many thanks to each and every one of you for the support you have provided to meet the unimaginable challenges, and to not only survive and work toward recovery from October devastation...but to RISE UP! Along with photos, you will find a link below to our Annual Report.

YOU helped this to happen <3

Newly planted crops beginning to grow once again

New homes. New skills. Rising to the challenges

Informed Trauma Care training workshop

Esthetics Training session - pedicure practice

Protecting Children is Building a Better Tomorrow

Links:

Annual Report 2015/16

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Dec 16, 2016
Restoring, Revitalizing...and Gaining Strength!

By Karen Wienberg | Chair, Board of Directors

In Grand Anse area...after the hurricane

Entering our SIXTH YEAR, and following the devastating aftermath of Hurricane Matthew and the ensuing floods in Haiti’s southern peninsula that I updated you on in October, we are able to provide you with news of the brilliant resilience of the Haitian people and of Little Footprints Big Steps work and progress that you are making possible.

Due to the deep connections and relationships with local leaders and Haitian Government, and as respected members of the Groupe du Travail pour la Protection des Enfants and Civil Protection Committee, we continue to make a marked impact on the present and future of the 250 plus children and their families that we have reunited over the past five years. Those families live in 23 communities across Haiti, most in the affected area. Because of these working collaborations, Little Footprints Big Steps staff were able to complete thorough needs assessments and evaluations on all of the children and families in our programs across the southern peninsula within days. Through these partnerships and the additional temporary professional staff we have hired, we are able to ensure aid is provided effectively and in a culturally sensitive and suitable manner and providing assistance to prevent abandonment of children and including initiatives that continue to support LFBS core mandate of sustainability and independence such as agriculture re-stabilization, outreach medical clinics and workshops, etc. The agronomist has also trained our Youth Leaders (rescued and reunited with their families over the past years) to provide training and follow-up in their communities!! Sustainable capacity development, skills training and mentorship in action. Photo below.

Along with emergency supplies, cholera prevention, water, sanitary supplies - we have provided hand tools and seeds to aid in the clean-up and replanting. The additional temporary staff includes doctors, agronomist, hospital outreach agent, security, and driver. This also means additional first hand opportunities for our youth leaders to be involved assisting! One young boy was abandoned to the hospital – with two bullets in his head. Through our consistent work with Haiti Social Services (IBESR), they thought to notify us and we were able to provide immediate care. He has had one bullet, and his eye, removed and has been discharged into our care as we review options for further medical intervention, reunification with his family and schooling. Photos below show one of our Youth Leaders, Eluxson proudly displaying his certificates...AND ... providing tutoring at the Transitional Safehouse.

Key and strategic in our work and partnerships is to ensure mistakes made following 2010 earthquake are not made once again. This is critical with regards to provision and distribution of aid intervention to avoid building dependency. We must pro-actively provide the tools and supplies for livelihood and food security, while also providing emergency support. Haitians must be involved in rebuilding efforts - utilizing local networks and requesting input from families about their needs to ensure sustainability and effectiveness of support provided. “Haitians need to be treated not just as victims or survivors but experts and leaders.”, a quote from author and educator, Mark Schuller. Keeping families together and monitoring orphanages to prevent abandonment of children into orphanages or Restavek situations is critical and we are collaborating with our new partners in LUMOS Organization to ensure this does not occur. Focus on community development will also prevent centralization and encourage self-sufficiency and sustainability.

A Princeton TV interview, featuring Morgan and the Vice Consul at the Haitian Consulate in New York provides some insights into Haiti’s culture and socio-economics, shows how clearly Little Footprints Big Steps work and objectives are respected. Part 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IJOiVaaOrr0&feature=youtu.be

Part 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aU3aRoCqjlE&feature=youtu.be

Ensuring students and public had the opportunity to hear a first-hand account of the actual situation before, during and after the hurricane, Little Footprint’s co-founder and Head of Haiti Operations, Morgan Wienberg, traveled briefly out of Haiti to provide accurate and inspiring in-person accounts and media interviews. Continuing the learning and sharing, she is briefly in Belfast, Ireland speaking at and attending a learning event with new partners LUMOS Organization (founded by J.K. Rowling).

This is just a quick peek into what YOU have made possible! THANK you for being such an amazing catalyst … for both survival and for a future! <3

Youth Leader providing training in his village

Little Footprints Medical Outreach Clinic

Rubinson post-surgery removing bullet and eye

Hard work, certificates, and pride of achievement!

Youth Leader tutoring at Transitional Safehouse

Links:

CBC news article

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Oct 11, 2016
Quick Hurricane Matthew Update

By Karen Wienberg | Chair, Board of Directors

Homes and communities destroyed

We knew you would want some information as soon as possible about Little Footprints Big Steps as the much of our work, children and families are located directly in the eye of the horrendous Category 4 Hurricane Matthew.

We are so proud of our amazing team. They worked tirelessly before, during and now, in the aftermath, Hurricane Matthew. The special training they received over the past months; the critical relationships they forged with Haitian Social Services and other non-government organizations; the tremendous devotion they have; and the tremendous support that you have shown us, are enabling Little Footprints Big Steps to play a pivotal and immediate role.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/north/morgan-wienberg-haiti-hurricane-matthew-aftermath-1.3792560

Here are some brief updates.....

Yesterday Morgan and two of our staff made it into Jeremie to bring supplies for our children and families there. Road was wiped out, but there is hope they can get through with food, water, supplies of any kind. Community almost wiped out.

http://www.maghaiti.net/ce-nest-pas-la-syrie-cest-la-ville-de-jeremie/

Her message: ALREADY SAW 2 KIDS, THEIR HOUSES BETTER THAN EXPECTED BUT NO TREES IN GRANDE ANSE, I DONT KNOW HOW PEOPLE WILL SURVIVE. THEY ARE THIRSTY...

The main road from the rest of Haiti, to bring desperately needed supplies and assistance, is slowly becoming usable for large trucks. Through donor support, our staff and partners based in Port au Prince have purchased supplies that Morgan has requested. That truck arrived safely to Morgan in Les Cayes late Saturday night! Here is Morgan's message on receiving those supplies: "I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU GOT EXACTLY WHAT WE ASKED FOR. I FEEL LESS HELPLESS AND OVERWHELMINGLY GRATEFUL. THANK YOU FOR FOLLOWING THROUGH. WE CAN DO THIS."

We are now compiling desperately needed medical supplies. We are working with a Dr. and two nurses that will travel to Les Cayes with those supplies tomorrow morning. Medical aide and supplies is in urgent needs as many more are dying daily.

Message from Morgan: ANOTHER BOY I THOUGHT WAS DEAD, ERBY, SHOWED UP AT SAFEHOUSE BUT IS TRAUMATIZED AND CUT BY NAILS AND METAL. ONLY ONE HOUSE AND PART OF A SCHOOL EXIST IN HIS AREA NOW. HE SAW KIDS DIE AND MANY ARE DYING OF CHOLERA. HE WALKED THROUGH A RIVER TO GET HERE ALTHOUGH NAILS PUNCTURED HIS FEET.

Along with the media links above showing photos of Les Cayes and Jeremie areas, I have attached photos from our main area of operations directly following the hurricane and of the first truck we were thrilled to be able to stock with supplies in Port au Prince, with the tremendous assistance and cooridation of friends and staff based in that unaffected city....and get through the trecherous roadways to Morgan and our team in the south.

Thank you Thank you Thank you

Extreme flooding and mudslides

Loading first supply truck

Almost full, then on our way south to Les Cayes

Links:

Little Footprints Big Steps

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