A call to...help!!

Hello Everyone!!!

I apologize for not keeping my blog up-to-date, but don't get your hopes up because this post has nothing to do with me and everything to do with what my awesome co-volunteers are currently working on.  I will say that I will get around to updating my blog...shortly.

Throughout my blog, I have talked a little bit about what Beth and Frankie do.  Right now, both are fundraising for two very different, by equally important and beneficial projects in their respective areas of work here.  Frankie is working on raising funds for a rec room at the Maison Bon Samaritain/Kay Pov where the residents there will have access to educational activities, arts and crafts and workshops to develop different skills.  Beth is raising money to build a recycled tire playground at Jesus-Mary School in Fon Ibo to provide the students with something other than a dirt yard to play in and will allow their imaginations to run wild.

Below are their write-ups that have been posted on all the major social media sites.  But, because I don't have a Facebook page or Twitter or anything else, I figured that posting their information to my blog was the least I could do to contribute to their efforts.  Both of them have been working very hard.  It has been wonderful to hear some of their success stories like Beth getting a sizable contrabution from a group of high schools girls that were here for a week-long immersion trip (more on that to come!!) and Frankie getting her first donation.  I can't wait to see their projects move forward and watch as they become a reality.

Lots of love!
Katie (and Beth and Frankie)

Frankie's Project:  Maison Bon Samaritain:  Help for the Helpless

Hi there!  My name is Francesca and I'm a Quest Volunteer with the Religious of Jesus and Mary in Gros Morne, Haiti.  As a missionary, my role is to serve the most vulnerable individuals in my community.  When I first came to Haiti, I did not know what this would entail.  Yet soon after I arrived, I learned about the Maison Bon Samaritain, or House of the Good Samaritan.  This facility provides the most basic needs to 21 elderly and disabled individuals who were cast out of their homes and greater community.  I serve the people who are normally looked upon with disdain because of their disabilities.  Through my time with the residents, I've learned about their quiet suffering and their daily, internal reminders of all the things they cannot do.

I hope to change that.  My faith taught me that each person has potential, regardless of any physical or mental ailment.  This is where I need your help!  The residents long for ways to rediscover their abilities and self-worth.  This longing has led me to the development of a plan which will add to the quality of their lives.  With $1,500, I will be able to provide the residents with a space where they can learn, practice new skills and engage in community with each other.  I will also be able to hire a local craftswoman to teach the residents new skills and continue to provide quality activities for them after my year of service is complete.

Please consider opening your hearts to the poorest of God's children.  Your gift will improve the quality of the residents' lives for years to come.

(Write-up taken from flyer for church fundraiser in hometown)

To Donate:  https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/support-quality-of-life-for-mbs-residents#home
Find us on Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/Maisonbonsamaritain

Beth's Project:  Recycled Tire Playground at Fon Ibo School
     I was going to tell you all about what the holidays are like here, but I am going to have to hold off on that because I want to really explain to you all what my playground project is all about. As I mentioned in a few blogs back when I knew I was coming back to Haiti I wanted to focus on the kids, because they are my world. I knew I would be working at the school, but I wanted to do something special for them. I wanted to do something that would give them a place for their imagination to explore a new world, for them to be a child for a few minutes.
     I had done a ton of research on playgrounds, and found wonderful websites that were beyond helpful. There was one website though that I decided to stay with because it was excellent. It’s called playground ideas, and it simply is that. It has a ton of ideas of what to build in playgrounds that have been done all around the world, but especially in places that have nothing. The website also connects you to do mission work with them. You can sign up and help build playgrounds all over the world, and once I saw that I knew this website was the right one. You can make an account, and it allows for you to see all the information. I looked through the pictures of what they have already created in other parts of the world, and they were amazing. One thing that is very unique about our playground, and these other playgrounds is that they are all built from recycled products. This means that playground is going to be built form mostly old tires. We will also have to buy some new products such as bolts, screws, wood, sheet metal, and etc. to ensure the safety of our playground. I went through the website multiple times to pick out a few of my favorite things to be built in the playground. I picked out a cube climber, balance beam, crazy caterpillar, drums, and a tire motorbike. I knew that our kids would love these objects. After I wrote down all my ideas, and organized my thoughts I had to organize meetings with our school principal, and teachers. It is very important to me that they are included every step of the way with this project. I was beyond nervous for this meeting because I didn’t know what reaction I was going to get, but it honestly went very well. The teachers loved the ideas, and even added in a few of their own. They wanted to have seesaw, but we didn’t think that was the safest idea. They also want a slide, and we all agreed to build one of those. I was so thrilled the teachers had wonderful input, and we were all on the same page. The next step then was organizing a meeting with the parents of students. I typed up a with the a note with the help of Sister Pat, and one of our past volunteers, and then handed them out to our students. Now, this was going to be the real test for me, and this project. Would the parents actually show up? Would they like the idea?, and what were their thoughts going to be about it? I called this meeting because as said I want the teachers to be involved, but  I also want the parents involved. This is so important to me because they need to be involved, and I want them to be able to call it their own. That is the problem with a lot of projects that take place not only here in Haiti, but in other parts of the world that are in poverty. People come in, and have these wonderful ideas, but they don’t actually allow for the people to put in their own ideas. So if you do these big huge projects, and you think it’s a good idea, that doesn’t mean the people agree with you. It’s also important to include them because you want them to feel like it’s their project. That you just didn’t come in, and build it all on your own. We had the meeting on a Friday afternoon, and I was nervous. I had our school keeper help organize it, and help me get my point across properly in creole to the parents. We had a ton of parents show up, which made me so happy. I was so grateful to see them interested, and wanting to help. We explained to them what we wanted to do, and how the process of planning would continue. The parents all were excited, and wanted to help. It was great to experience this feeling, because as some of you may not know sometimes parents don’t really care about what is going on in their kid’s life at school. This may come as a shock, but it’s true. They are worried about how to survive, and if they are going to be able to feed their family the next day, so I was just beyond thrilled that we had the outcome we did.
     After that meeting I had to do more planning. I talked to one of our main guys that we work with closely here in Gros-Morne. He is a wonderful friend, and helps around our house a lot. I gave him a list of how many tires we would need, and the sizes because he was going to start outreaching to people in the community for me. Now, this was going to be the hard part, because they have tires, but they don’t hold them for that long. So I told him to tell them that I will pay them a little more to hold on to some tires for me. This is one step that is going to be on going for our playground until we get all the tires, and until we can buy them. The rest of the products such as the wood, sheet metal, screws, bolts, and etc., we will be buying down in PAP. We will be buying all the material here in Haiti expect for a ground covering. We have been having some trouble with this as of right now, because it is difficult to find something and get over here to Haiti. When I say ground covering, we want something such as turf, a soft matting to put on the ground so if our children would fall they would not get hurt. This is very important for us because our kids safety comes first. We are still in the process with working with a company, but if anyone out there has any ideas please feel free to contact us with your input!!
     Now, that you have the information on what I am exactly planning I want to tell you what steps I am really focusing on right now. The big step to make this playground come true is fundraising. I have been outreaching to my university, local newspapers, big newspapers, using Facebook, Instagram, and writing blogs. This playground cannot come true without all the help of you. If you go to http://www.rjm-us.org/partners/quest.html and look in the blue box to the right you will see contribute to RJM. You will click on that link and it will take you to the RJM fundraising page. Then in the RJM Haiti Fund you will see where it talks about the Haiti playground project, to read about it you will click on the “Click Here” button, and it will give you the story about the playground. Once you have looked at the story you can click “Donate Now”, and it will take you to the page on where to donate. When you are donating to the Haiti playground fund you just have specifically put in the box that it is for this project. I greatly appreciate any donation you make for the playground, and remember no donation is too small. If you cannot make a donation please pass on our story to others. I truly appreciate anything and everything you can do. I am so beyond grateful for all the love and support each and every one of you give me and to what I am doing here in Haiti. If anyone has any questions about my playground project please feel free to contact me at 40ratke@gmail.com, also if you have any ideas for the ground surface feel free to contact me! I am so beyond excited to get this project on the ground for our kids, and trust me our kids our beyond grateful for your love and support! 

 (Photo credit goes to Jacinta McGuane and Beth Ratke, write-up from Beth's blog)