December 2015 Update

December 2015

Dear friends of Matènwa,

On behalf of the entire MCLC community, we would like to wish you a happy holiday season and thank you once more for the great activities, that you make possible in Matènwa.

This past spring, with support from The M.A.D. Girls, MCLC was able to hire its first school nurse, Ms. Duna Andoizin. She has been providing healthcare to students, teachers, as well as other members of the greater community. She has also been conducting health lessons for students. In a recent class of preschoolers (pictured on the left), they talked together about the importance of good personal hygiene.

The first graders learned about diarrhea, which most children have had. During one of the weekly school assemblies, they performed a teaching song about the impact of diarrhea and a home remedy to help treat it. Here are some of lyrics: “When people have diarrhea, they become very dehydrated. But now, we are saved! Here comes the oral rehydration solution! It is a very good solution, very easy to make: I liter of of clean drinking water, 2 tablespoons of sugar, 1 teaspoon of salt, and 3 drops of lemon juice.”

Training Updates

Display of the Matènwa triangular arborloo[endif]--On November 24, SOIL Haiti held a training session at MCLC. The training focused on the use of ecological sanitation, the process by which human waste is converted into valuable compost for gardening. Among the different methods presented, MCLC opted to continue to use the arborloo method. An arborloo is a type of latrine placed above a shallow pit to collect human waste. When the pit is nearly full with waste and ash, it is then covered with soil and left to decompose for 8 to 12 months. After decomposition, a tree planted in this nutrient-rich pit will thrive.

As part of our partnership with Beyond Borders, staff from MCLC’s Institute of Learning have been holding Open Space sessions at our partner schools. During a session at the Agwodag School in a community called Nan Plim, participants discussed the quality of education in their area and the role of parents in their children’s education. They agreed that parents must be more involved and should build close, personal relationships with their children.

Vana Edmond, MCLC Direction Committee and Chris Low, Executive Director FOM

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