Taylor Smith
May 2018
“
The two weeks in Haiti were some of the most transformative weeks of my life. There is so much beauty there that no one really knows about. I fully intend to keep visiting Haiti as a tourist.
Killing with Kindness - Haiti Module
May 14-27
Program cost: $2,800 (all inclusive!)
Students will explore the major cultural traditions of southern Haiti while taking a critical look at the disbursement of aid and its ramifications on Haitian society. Haiti has the world’s highest density of NGOs per capita (over 10,000!). Unfortunately, the proliferation of NGOs has severely undermined the Haitian government and compromised the earthquake reconstruction efforts. The various service projects that Centenary students will undertake in the module (working in area schools, building a library) will aim at giving them a culturally sensitive approach to doing aid in developing countries.
Overview
The Haiti Module organizer, Andia Augustin-Billy, has extensive knowledge of the country, its language and culture. Professor Augustin-Billy who grew up as a missionary kid in Haiti and who specializes in the literature of the Creole World, will help build a school library in Les Cayes, a coastal city nearly five hundred years old located on the southern peninsula of the country. The books for this library are comprised of a nearly 5000-volume collection of French language material that has been donated specifically for this project.
In the mornings, Centenary students will walk five minutes to École Béthanie de Charpentier (a kindergarten to 12th grade school) and interact with local students of all ages, teaching them English, and learning from them as well. Centenary students will also organize and catalogue the donated books. Though Haiti has had a long and rich literary tradition, books are not readily available and school libraries are rare. The books will leave a lasting impact on the future of Haitian children.
