It's hard to believe we are already a full month into the new year, and 2015 is looking like it will be fabulous! We are so excited that we have two Britsionary groups booked each month, almost to year's end, and with exciting things happening with medical and dental initiatives for Be Like Brit, we are holding on for a busy, busy month!
This past week, we welcomed Amanda back to Haiti after a long weekend in Florida! Amanda was especially happy, not only because her beloved Patriots won the Superbowl, but because she got to celebrate it with her father ~ an equally avid fan of New England! Amanda's trip was delayed by two days, as a transportation strike in Haiti on Monday and Tuesday this past week had halted public transportation, making a drive from Port-au-Prince to Grand Goâve too unpredictable to chance it! I think she was happy to have two extra days of rest and relaxation, but I do know the awesome feeling it is to come back home to BLB! I think these smiles say it all!
It wasn't long before Amanda was back into the full swing of things! The children had missed her, and they were anxious to get back into Amanda's ABCMouse room! Amanda has managed this program for all of our children, and developed a great after-school enrichment program schedule which allows for daily use, at a minimum of 30 minutes each! Add guitar and piano lessons and English classes by Peterson in the mix, as well as their standard 2 hours of instruction and homework time, and our kiddos are definitely busy! Of course we know the importance of some good old-fashioned fun, and so free time and play is part of the day, every day! With all of the scooters and the few bicycles we have down here, it can get pretty chaotic! We do our best to "divide and conquer" and keep the children as safe as we can! Sometimes, though, accidents happen - just like in any house with children!
I was off this weekend and spent two days in Port, and yesterday morning received a call from Be Like Brit. One of our tiniest guys, Jean Roodly, had taken a spill on his bicycle (just trying to get on it!) and knocked his head on one of the columns in the building! Thanks to our great relationship with the Director of the local hospital, and our friendship with Dr. Anna Mirta, a Cuban Pediatrician who staffs the clinic, Peterson was able to bring Jean Roodly down for the two little stitches he needed! We're very proud of our little man and he's even prouder! Not more than 15 minutes after he returned from the clinic, Jean Roodly was running around the courtyard with a soccer ball, laughing and having fun! We do have helmets here, but we don't have enough! A future Wish List Wednesday item, for sure!
Here's our brave boy just shortly after getting two stitches!
CHILD SPOTLIGHT: Shilove
Shilove has only been with us at Be Like Brit since November. When Shilove came to us, she had been living with friends of the family following her mother's sudden illness and untimely death. Shilove was very shy and timid, and it definitely took a bit of time for her to warm up to us! Fortunately for us, many of our caregiver staff come from the same communities as our children do, and so Shilove quickly found a good friend in one of our part-time caregivers - Nadege. Nadege was actually Shilove's neighbor, and knew her well! A familiar face was all it took to get Shilove to open up, and she's a happy and spirited little girl who brings us so much joy and laughter!
Even in the short amount of time she has been with us, it's clear the benefits of Child Sponsorship and a clean environment with basic medical care! Just take a look at how much she's changed in just a few months!
We can't thank all of you enough for all you continue to do! We are truly humbled with the ongoing outpouring of love and support for these beautiful children! Thank you for helping us help the children of Haiti at Be Like Brit! Have a great week!
This past week, we welcomed Amanda back to Haiti after a long weekend in Florida! Amanda was especially happy, not only because her beloved Patriots won the Superbowl, but because she got to celebrate it with her father ~ an equally avid fan of New England! Amanda's trip was delayed by two days, as a transportation strike in Haiti on Monday and Tuesday this past week had halted public transportation, making a drive from Port-au-Prince to Grand Goâve too unpredictable to chance it! I think she was happy to have two extra days of rest and relaxation, but I do know the awesome feeling it is to come back home to BLB! I think these smiles say it all!
It wasn't long before Amanda was back into the full swing of things! The children had missed her, and they were anxious to get back into Amanda's ABCMouse room! Amanda has managed this program for all of our children, and developed a great after-school enrichment program schedule which allows for daily use, at a minimum of 30 minutes each! Add guitar and piano lessons and English classes by Peterson in the mix, as well as their standard 2 hours of instruction and homework time, and our kiddos are definitely busy! Of course we know the importance of some good old-fashioned fun, and so free time and play is part of the day, every day! With all of the scooters and the few bicycles we have down here, it can get pretty chaotic! We do our best to "divide and conquer" and keep the children as safe as we can! Sometimes, though, accidents happen - just like in any house with children!
I was off this weekend and spent two days in Port, and yesterday morning received a call from Be Like Brit. One of our tiniest guys, Jean Roodly, had taken a spill on his bicycle (just trying to get on it!) and knocked his head on one of the columns in the building! Thanks to our great relationship with the Director of the local hospital, and our friendship with Dr. Anna Mirta, a Cuban Pediatrician who staffs the clinic, Peterson was able to bring Jean Roodly down for the two little stitches he needed! We're very proud of our little man and he's even prouder! Not more than 15 minutes after he returned from the clinic, Jean Roodly was running around the courtyard with a soccer ball, laughing and having fun! We do have helmets here, but we don't have enough! A future Wish List Wednesday item, for sure!
Here's our brave boy just shortly after getting two stitches!
We know he looks rough - but he was a trooper through the whole ordeal! If any of you feel like donating bike helmets for our kiddos (ages 2 to 16) feel free to drop them off at the 'OC' at 66 Pullman Street, Worcester, MA 01606! You may ship them there, too!
Don't think that your friends in Haiti haven't been following along with what many of you have endured this winter! Wow! We can't get over the amount of snow you've had, and as I write this, there's another one on the way! Being from Upstate New York, I've seen my friends and family back home dealing with temperatures well below zero! I will say that there are times that I would enjoy a nice snowfall, but feel assured that this winter is one that I am happy to have missed! Here we are in February, and Amanda continues to bring the children to the beach every Saturday (in two groups!), enjoying some of the most beautiful beaches I've ever seen! Jealous? You can certainly sign up to be a Britsionary and enjoy the beaches at Taino at least one day while you are here!
Don't they look like they are having a blast?
As you know, we have recently been talking with UMASS Medical, trying to explore ways that we might be able to work together to bring some of the best health care available down to Be Like Brit! While we are still working on all the details, we are happy to announce that we will be hosting three medical personnel in the coming months from UMASS, and we can't wait for them to arrive! We will first welcome Dr. Michael Taylor later this month! With incidents like Jean Roodly's visit to the local hospital, it is so assuring to know that so many exceptional professionals in medicine are willing to give of their time and skills to the children of Haiti at Be Like Brit!
Cherylann has been busy, too, working with Dr. Scott Siemen and his wife Katie, who have so graciously taken on the responsibility of heading up the dental clinic at Be Like Brit. In our 1200 square foot clinic, we have a dental chair, complete with all of the necessary tools and supplies we need to operate! Dr. Siemen and Katie have both been to Haiti and have seen first hand the extent of the need for proper dental care in the area! While our children are fortunate to have the benefits of proper hygiene and oral health care, that is an exception, not the rule! Through Scott and Katie's efforts, we've had dentists and hygienists down to Haiti three times already! This is huge for us and we can't thank them enough for all of their hard work!
Shilove has only been with us at Be Like Brit since November. When Shilove came to us, she had been living with friends of the family following her mother's sudden illness and untimely death. Shilove was very shy and timid, and it definitely took a bit of time for her to warm up to us! Fortunately for us, many of our caregiver staff come from the same communities as our children do, and so Shilove quickly found a good friend in one of our part-time caregivers - Nadege. Nadege was actually Shilove's neighbor, and knew her well! A familiar face was all it took to get Shilove to open up, and she's a happy and spirited little girl who brings us so much joy and laughter!
Even in the short amount of time she has been with us, it's clear the benefits of Child Sponsorship and a clean environment with basic medical care! Just take a look at how much she's changed in just a few months!
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