Volunteers: Dave Clay, Iman Lisarazu, Marykristn Simoneua, Sarah Liane Foster, Julie Pasqual, Molly Armstrong, and Billy Schultz.
TDH’s focus on sustainability and child protection programs led them to establish (among many other projects) nine child-safe activity centers in and around Grand Goâve (both in tent camps for displaced people as well as in communities where people are still living in their homes). The child-safe centers each have a director appointed by the community and volunteer Activity Leaders identified by the community. These Activity Leaders provide structured play and other activities to the children of their communities. The nine child-safe centers currently serve about 3,100 children.
Given the success of the child-safe centers in Grand Goâve, TDH decided to develop a similar project in Les Cayes in partnership with a local organization in Cité Delma already developing Saturday activities for their community’s children. The local organization will be in charge of the center and activities; TDH will provide support through the building of an activity space and by providing training to the Activity Leaders. Clowns Without Borders provided the first training for the Activity Leaders in Les Cayes and this is a continuation of the project.
Project Goals
CWB and TDH are working together to address the following goals:
- To offer fun, imaginative, and empowering play to the Activity Leaders, Trainers, and children relieving them from the hardships of their circumstances;
- To offer emotional relief to the larger TDH community through our performances; to empower the children and adults in the show with us through their performance experience;
- To effectively train the Workshop Leaders and Trainers so that they have the capacity to independently lead activities we have done with them in the child-safe centers;
- Through cultural exchange and through the structure of our teaching, to inspire and empower them to adapt what we have taught them and take it in other directions once we have left.
Check out this cool video!
