By Karen Wienberg | Chair, Board of Directors
Hello and Happy 2016! We are filled with hope and excitement for all of the continued big steps toward a self-sufficient future that the year ahead will bring to the hard-working children and youth in Haiti.
Actively learning teamwork, creative leadership and gaining self-confidence is embraced by the group of Little Footprints Big Steps youth working together planning all of the details to host an annual celebration for the Association of Parents with Handicapped Children. Putting on skits, writing and performing songs, planning food and logistics require tremendous skills and critical thinking. Photos of the planning group and of one of young women speaking at the event are attached.
Two of our senior youth have been actively involved in teaching others in our "Community Trainings for Prevention of Sexual Assault and Violence". Incredible to think that these teenagers were once in abusive situations themselves, and are now working alongside local authorities to educate other youth about their rights! A photo of one of those awareness sessions is attached.
Along with making great progress academically at school, Ysaac continues to apprentice with a local motorcycle repair company on Saturdays. One of our young ladies, Erline, is enrolled fulltime studies to become a professional seamstress. With all school students needing uniforms each year, seamstresses are in great demand!
The students enrolled in the Ocean Link Maritime Institute training program, which will lead to full time employment in the cruise ship and hospitality industry, have been doing regular apprenticeship training at local hotels and are also having classes in English language by a new professor we have hired to assist in this key area of learning for their future employment opportunities.
This year is going to be incredible.
Little Footprints Big Steps' co-founder and Head of Haiti Operations is currently in Canada as she is about to be honored with the Meritorious Service Cross Medal in recognition for the amazing accomplishments in Haiti and the evolving partnerships, program models and inspiration broadening daily. While in Canada, Morgan Wienberg has been speaking to numerous school and service groups and at a gala fundraising event in her home town of Whitehorse, Yukon. Photos of that event, and the wonderful table top heart decorations made by local elementary school students are attached. Before returning to Haiti, Morgan will be traveling to India where she will be presenting and sharing Little Footprints work at an International Conference in New Delhi.
Thank you for helping make it possible for these youth the opportunity to have a real future, with real skills and real options.
Links:
Project reports on GlobalGiving are posted directly to globalgiving.org by Project Leaders as they are completed, generally every 3-4 months. To protect the integrity of these documents, GlobalGiving does not alter them; therefore you may find some language or formatting issues.
If you donate to this project or have donated to this project, you can receive an email when this project posts a report. You can also subscribe for reports without donating.
