This July, with support from Quixote Center, the Caritas Committee of Lachandle Parish in Gros Morne, Haiti, organized a three-week summer camp for children in the community, many who have been displaced by armed gang violence in Port-au-Prince and the Artibonite region. When school is out for the summer, it is prime recruitment time for armed groups. Creating safe community spaces for children is essential. And so, Camp Caritas was formed.
The plan was for 100 children. By the third day, 129 children were attending and by the end of camp that number had grown to 153.
For three weeks, local community leaders created a safe, caring and fun place for the children to spend their days learning, playing and spending time together. They shared two meals and a snack each day and participated in all kinds of activities, including macrame and soapmaking, personal health lessons, and learning about the environment and civics. They took trips to the forest, learned new skills, and importantly… had time to just be kids.
The program also put money back into the local community. In addition to purchasing food in the market, Camp Caritas also bought mangoes, ripe figs, homemade cookies, and fresh juices from people who came to the camp each day to sell what they had grown or made. They employed local trainers, cooks and drivers. The Camp also paid for round-trip transportation for the 51 kids who attended that lived too far to walk so they could safely make it to camp.
The response from families was incredible! Parents regularly stopped by to see what their children were up to and as the camp grew, more people in the community showed up to see if there was room for their children to attend. At the end of the three weeks, the kids were asking if they could keep coming in August and parents were asking to sign their families up for next year!
As the Caritas team wrote in its final report:
“The children are happy and wish for a camp next year, and one that lasts more days.”
Next year, Camp Caritas hopes to build on what they learned this summer and expand the program to a full month while inviting up to 200 children, offering fewer activities, but accommodating more people.
On behalf of Camp Caritas, we thank you for your generosity in making this possible. Quixote Center supporters gave $11,395 and thanks to an incredible matching gift, 153 children had a safe space to learn, grow, and play this summer.
Add comment