When we traveled in Haiti in April 2016, I was caught off guard by the images of children along the sides of the roads. Children of all ages, some as young as 5, walking hand-in-hand, along curving mountain roads, miles a day, to get to school. These children were enthusiastic, they carried their bodies tall and confident, they were wearing a school uniform and they knew where they were going. They knew someone had sacrificed and cared and believed in them enough to dress them in the school uniform that said You Matter and You will have a future. These children walked in stunning contrast to the children along the side of the road wearing tattered rags and standing, staring, waiting, nowhere to go, no options for their futures. And I recognized the power of the school uniform in Haiti: tangible evidence that you belong and you have work to do.
Our children in Le Ecole Communautaire des EcoVillages de Colladere now have uniforms! They have a safe place to live, safe water to drink, a school to attend. Their families survived the great Earthquake, moved to build their homes in the EcoVillages, planted crops, and worked hard to be sure these children are safe and secure and belong.
