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Campaign
to End Child Servitude | Child
Literacy | Transformational Travel
| Apprenticeship in Shared Living
| Adult Literacy | The
Experiment in Alternative Leadership | Living
Words | Reflection Circles and Open
Space | Matènwa Community
Learning Center | Lutheran
Leadership Development | Schools
Alive! | Financial Update
Campaign
to End Child Servitude
A
march for children's rights and against child
servitude, one of the many activities organized
by our partners on the International Day of the
Child. |
In
June the Campaign used the International Day of the
Child and the International Day against Slavery to
organize a wide variety of activities in Haiti drawing
attention to the slave-like conditions faced by hundreds
of thousands of Haitian children. In July we completed
development of an ambitious new plan for this initiative
that expands our efforts to build a movement in Haiti
to bring an end to the exploitation of Haitian children
held captive in domestic servitude.
Child
Literacy
During
the summer recess, teachers from the fifty child-literacy
centers Beyond Borders supports received a full month
of continuing education that upgraded their skills,
made them familiar with new materials and methods,
and prepared them for the coming school year. The
members of each Literacy Center Committee also met
and recruited new students and registered current
students for the fall semester. Administrators of
the program spent the summer preparing for the new
year too—planning, purchasing books, completing
reports, and working with teachers to improve the
program. (top)
Transformational
Travel
Visitors from the University of Dayton
enjoying the view from a rooftop in Darbon. |
After
having no travel groups for several months because
of Haiti’s political crisis, we welcomed a small
group from the University of Dayton in June. Five
other groups are planned for the next six months,
and additional plans are being made for future groups.
(top)
Apprenticeship
in Shared Living
(from left to right) Kris Stoesz, Kent
Annan, Guerda Lexima Constant, and Samson Joseph
around Guerda's baby daughter, Aurore, at the
Limye Lavi annual meeting in May.
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Beyond
Borders hosted two short-term apprentices during the
summer. In mid-September we welcomed our newest apprentice,
Lindsey Strauch, who will be with us for a year and
is living with a family in the community of Darbon.
(top)
Adult
Literacy
Twenty-five
adult literacy centers have just started a two-year
long cycle for new students. This summer we led several
trainings for literacy instructors. We continue to
consult and advise other organizations that want to
promote adult literacy and help them find training
and materials for their literacy instructors. (top)
The
Experiment in Alternative Leadership
This
program continues to promote servant leadership and
participatory education in Haiti. A recent threeday
conference of Open Space and Reflection Circle practitioners
brought together fifty young Haitian leaders to reflect
on how they could promote peace more effectively.
Also, grants are beginning to be given to enable schools,
organizations, and community groups to receive leadership
training. For information about a new documentary
that highlights this grassroots movement, visit www.circlesofchange.com.
(top)
Living
Words
This
new program is promoting a new type of small-group
Bible reflection and prayer, which is common in the
U.S. but quite new in Haiti. Already hundreds of pastors,
teachers, and school leaders have been introduced
to the method. Groups are meeting regularly. Holding
more seminars in different parts of the country and
printing a Creole explanatory booklet (that includes
Bible passages) are planned for the fall. (top)
Reflection
Circles and Open
Space
These
two methods for promoting critical thought, listening,
and respectful dialogue continue to spread throughout
communities, local organizations, and schools around
the country. During the summer more than three hundred
teachers were trained in Reflection Circles and Open
Space. (top)
Matènwa
Community Learning Center
Our
staff continues to be involved in many ways with this
dynamic elementary school, which is an associate partner
of Beyond Borders. In the upcoming year we will provide
teacher training as well as planning and budget support.
(top)
Lutheran
Leadership Development
Beyond
Borders is partnering with the Lutheran Florida/Bahamas
Synod (ELCA) to facilitate the theological training
and denominational organization of about a dozen Lutheran
churches in Haiti. In July a teacher training for
160 teachers was held, as well as a theological training
session for twenty pastors and church leaders. (top)
Schools
Alive!
This
new initiative links teachers and school directors
from many different schools to encourage education
reform. The first event was held in September and
was a great success. Five more events are scheduled
for the coming months. Look to hear more about this
exciting new effort soon. (top)
Financial
Update
At
the end of September, which is also the end of the
first quarter of our fiscal year, Beyond Borders had
received gifts totaling $91,170. This represents 63%
of the $143,841 we had budgeted to raise, leaving
us a shortfall of $52,671. Our expenses were somewhat
under budget, too, but we met our commitments to our
partners by drawing off our reserve, which is now
down to around $70,000. We need to raise nearly $200,000
in the current quarter, which began in October, to
meet our budget. We have our work cut out for us!
(top)
If
you would like to help us financially or wish to support
any of the above programs, you may give
online or send your gift to Beyond Borders, PO
Box 2132, Norristown, PA 19404. Your contribution
is tax-deductible to full extent allowed by law.
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