While summer at Louverture Cleary School means a break from normal school operations such as classes, the mission of LCS to form Haiti’s future leaders never truly rests.
This summer, while most LCS students are at home for vacation, the school’s Outreach Department held Kan D’ete (summer camp) for children enrolled in the Koukouy Sen Klè (Fireflies of St. Clare) early childhood development program and other children from the school's neighborhood.
Amid the continued unrest in the Port-au-Prince area, LCS Assistant Director of Outreach Naphtary S. (LCS '18) and the staff of the Koukouy program led the day camp, a welcome resource to parents who could be sure their children were safe and engaged.
The program offered a vibrant learning environment; 120 children enjoyed music and dance, art classes, sports, and board and card games. Participants also learned bible stories and received a hot meal. Additionally, 11 LCS students and nine young adults from the Outreach Program were engaged as leaders and instructors.
Kan D’ete has been a staple of the LCS Outreach Program for years. Said Naphtary, "The Summer camp is really important because it keeps the children connected to learning while having fun. The camp is vital because they can have a meal every day. It also provides an opportunity for the children to build confidence, creativity, and friendships in a safe and peaceful environment."
Children, especially teenagers, who are engaged in camp are not in the streets and therefore away from the gang violence and the dangerous, prevalent eye of those looking to recruit into the gangs. Families can stay together, as LCS provides a place for the children during the day while parents work, and the discipline, structure, and formation instills Louverturian values of stewardship, work, and community in even the youngest of participants.
Just like the Koukouy Program itself, Kan D’ete is much more than fun and educational for local children — it is a solution to societal issues and a catalyst for change.
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