The night before the youth went back to school—some locally, some in the cities—we were able to have a rare, fun activity with them: a bonfire over at Samuel’s Trees!
But this week’s Foto Friday has a little more to it…
During the Christmas vacation, a large number of youth from the Plateau—under the direction of Mezou—worked hard at Samuel’s Trees….and they did some amazing work! They built up some very important water-holding walls, constructing pathways on the top of them. The resulting sunken plots of land will hold more water for longer, which will in turn propel the growth of the trees planted there.
In a very real sense, they are working to better their own future. Not only are they able to earn some money to help pay for their schooling, but they and their children are the ones who will benefit from these trees in the future. They are taking lead in their community. They worked hard and with all their hearts.
So, it was quite fitting to close out the school break with a bonfire. Fun, recreational events are hard to come by on the Plateau, so it was a great way to encourage and reward the youth for all their hard work. (Believe it or not, it has been what we would call “cold” lately, so the bonfire felt great!) Manis shared some final exhortations and advice with them before they went back to school, encouraging them to make wise choices and to keep focused on what is most important for their lives. After that there was food, including hot dogs, corn, pate, and sweet potatoes to roast, as well as specially purchased marshmallows, which were new to most. And of course, there was fun—including practical jokes and dominoes (a favorite game in Haiti).
(For more about the great things happening among our youth, be sure to check out the post Over Christmas Break...)