Zanmi Lakay wishes us good luck from Haiti on our upcomming fundraiser, this Thursday, August 18th.
Hi Jeannette,
Well, we’re still pulling photos together for slideshows and finishing up our report – and most of us still can’t believe what we accomplished – but Jouk Li Jou Kan Foto 2011 production is done! The show is up until the end of the month and the response has been very gratifying! So many folks that couldn’t make the opening night (which was packed!) have been visiting and been blown away by the student’s photography and the extent of the show. We had 42 students shoot over 12,000 images in three days of assignments in and around Jacmel. There are 70 large photos printed for the exhibit, and each student has at least one. Then because of the spontaneous daily assignments of Haitian flag colors, motos, and old folks, we created four collages: The Moto, Self Portraits, Homage to the Elders, and the red, green, and blue of the flag.
Our two weeks in Haiti went by so fast we barely had time to slow down and enjoy it all, but we did have some great field trips with the kids, the group from Cite Soleil had a blast and visited everything in Jacmel, all of the kids received daily editing sessions and we had a blackboard with everyone’s assignments being checked off every day. One of our team is working on a beautiful video, and another team member is just getting back from Haiti tonight…so there will be more to come!
I wanted you to have something for your fundraiser so I put together this image for you of one of our group shots. We appreciate all the help and support you’ve given us and I know how folks love to see where the money goes. Our base camp was the ACFFC Foundation building in Jacmel – the painting all over it is the result of a mural Zanmi Lakay started right after the earthquake…and it just kept going inside and outside.
Six kids from Kole Zepol in Cite Soleil came down to Jacmel with us for the camp along with Elda. I’ve known Elda since she was very young because she grew up at Lafanmi Selavi and Zanmi Lakay also sponsors her daughter to go to school. Elda has been working with the kids at Kole Zepol for many years now. Anyway, the kids had an amazing time, incredible experiences, they got along famously with the ACFFC kids even dancing/singing/chanting. It was all just so unbelievably cool!! Kole Zepol’s Director, Jean Ristil, came on the Friday for the opening. I first saw him at the Gallery and he was very nice, and I gave him a hug and I thought all was well. Apparently he was a bit in shock seeing all the things we had done during the week. The exhibit is extremely big, detailed, over the top. We pulled in a lot of help to make Jouk Li Jou work including renting a Taptap for a few days, paying for all the Cite Soleil kids, Joel, etc. at a guest house, daily snacks and food – you can imagine. But all of this was done because of donations, and our team did quite a bit of the work. None of us has the funds personally to do any of this stuff and it’s hard for some people to understand. This is why we have the nonprofit, and that’s the only reason we can continue working in Haiti.
Working with in Cite Soleil is not easy, but our experience with them in Feb./March 2011 was fantastic! We brought in massive food and supplies for each child and staff member, an entire collection of photos to put on the walls, boxes of Clif Bars, Volunteers that also brought in tons of donations, equipment for the cyber cafe, and electronics - it was quite a massive event we had. It’s hard because I’m in this for the kids. Sometimes things aren’t as rosy as we’d like, and Haiti isn’t an easy place, but somehow we’ll make it all work out….for the kids
Best of luck on Thursday night! You seem to have these events down and a great team as well. Have a great time!
Jen
Jennifer Pantaléon
Executive Director
Zanmi Lakay
Photographer
Purchase your tickets to our Summer Event!! Thursday August 18th at Red Canary!
Purchase your tickets to our Summer Event!! Thursday August 18th at Red Canary!
Charity4LIFE encourages the business professional to get involved with humanitarian efforts by practicing Weekend Warrior Activism - A style of humanitarian aid that involves working around the 40-hour workweek. We do what we can in our spare time to make as much of a difference as possible. Charity4LIFE provides fun social outlets for the busy professional, to encourage participation in our causes and join our movement.
Charity4LIFE’S Next August Trip – La Chureca, Nicaragua
Charity4LIFE’S Next August Trip – La Chureca, Nicaragua
A wonderful write up about La Chureca, the largest landfill in Latin America where over 3,000 people live.
May2011 visit to Haiti to support Zanmi Lakay and follow and track several of the individuals they support in Port Au Prince, Champ Mars, and Cite Soleil.
Visit shell of Lafanmi Selavi, looted in 2004, and now full of cracks after the earthquake. 500 kids were living here after that, until the coup destroyed it. Translated Lafanmi Selavi means the Family is Life. This is Zanmi’s meeting spot to gather up and check on individuals.
Visit to Champs Mars tent encampment to meet Buwoe who Zanmi has been helping with medical needs since he was hit by a car and then beaten by police years ago. They found out last trip it may be too late for surgery but are still assisting with physical therapy. We visited him on Saturday and then again on Tuesday. Our Tuesday visit, he was hit by yet another car and had severly swollen knees. His friends borrowed him a tv so he would not be sad.
We also visited a new orphanage off Delmas 48 that started post quake. Some of the older boys Zanmi Lakay knows helps out there, and 2 orphans they have known since 2009 and were sponsoring for school now live there. They will be helping the orphanage out as much as they can after they initally checked the place out in March. 75 kids are supported, none have beds and food is given in a community effort to rumage as much as they can.
Charity4LIFE Spring 2011 Fundraiser in support of Zanmi Lakay in Haiti
Charity4LIFE Spring 2011 Fundraiser in support of Zanmi Lakay in Haiti
Join us on Thursday May 19, 2011
from 6pm to 9pm at Pops For Champagne
in support of the Zanmi Lakay organization in Haiti!
Tickets are $20 with advance purchase or $30 at the door. You must register online for the event by 5/18 to receive the discounted rate. Ticket purchase also includes one drink ticket and complimentary hors d’oeuvres.
Raffle prizes as well as silent auction items will be available for you to bid on. These great items will include sports tickets, exclusive spa and restaurant deals, professional photography, and more! Raffle tickets can be purchased at the event.
We will also be raffling off a free flight for our next trip to Haiti in July, where we will work with Zanmi Lakay !
More Information
Charity4LIFE encourages the business professional to get involved with humanitarian efforts by practicing Weekend Warrior Activism - A style of humanitarian aid that involves working around the 40-hour workweek. We do what we can in our spare time to make as much of a difference as possible. Charity4LIFE provides fun social outlets for the busy professional, to encourage participation in our causes and join our movement.
Thank you Miriam for your generous contribution of items for my upcoming trip to Haiti on Friday. We just got three soccer balls, over 15 hand sanitizers, chewable vitamin c tablets, toothpaste, soap packages and a soccer pump! Working on putting together Care Kits to give to children we see on the streets and in poor communities. The goal is to pack as much as we can fit and carry between two people!