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Connecting Through Partnership
Our focus is on partnership and collaboration. We are grateful for the relationships we have developed with other organizations in Haiti and here in the US.
Complexe Educatif Men Nan Men
This vocational school ( its name means Hand in Hand) in Ganthier is a long term project of NJ based Foundation for Peace.The school has provided language classes in English and Spanish to community area children and adults for 8 years and now also offers computer classes and other vocational training in sewing, cooking, tiling, driving and more. The students at La Reference take computer classes here. KONEKTE summer trip volunteers worked on the construction of this school for several consecutive years, seeing it through to completion. Konekte has hosted teacher training and business programs here as well as soccer tournaments and field day activities for our partner orphanages.
Foundation For Peace has been working hand in hand with the Haitian community since the 2010 earthquake. FFP staff in the US and in Haiti have helped us with our projects and summer trips since 2011. Through FFP we have been able to meet many local community members, visit remote villages and learn more about Haitian culture. Thanks to FFP, KONEKTE succeeded to build strong relationships with the principals of the two schools we have been partnering since 2012.
Foundation For Peace
Maison d'Enfants
Over the past 5 years we have developed a partnership with Maison d’Enfants, a family run orphanage and home in the hills above Ganthier. Madame Célianie took over from her father a few years ago and cares for the children as her own. Our summer trip volunteers always visit and we conduct games and educational activities with the children of all ages. We have gathered supplies donated by community members in the Princeton area to send to the orphanage. Last year we sponsored 3 of the older children to attend school at La Reference, and this year we plan to sponsor 10.
Some years ago we reflected on how we could best partner with this home for some 30 boys ages 3 to 16. We came up with the idea to give them a day out to remember. Other than going to school they rarely get to leave the orphanage. We have taken them on visits to museums and the national soccer stadium and a local park for lunch and games. In recent years our summer trip volunteers have organised a full day of activities at Men Nan Men school campus including educational activities, a treasure hunt, ‘olympic’ team sports, craft projects, singing and dancing.
L’Orphelinat Emmanuel in Port au Prince
The French American Academy, Jersey City, NJ
In 2018, 3 teachers and the principal of FAA visited Ganthier with Konekte. They immediately felt connected with the communities they met, and decided to partner with the 2 schools with a vision to build connections between teachers, and develop programs between the students. As a first step teachers from FAA and La Référence shared songs and videos.
The staff reached out to the school community in New Jersey who donated instruments and money for the music program at La Référence and in 2019 a young FAA student organized a fundraiser for his birthday and donated the proceeds to La Référence.
