Arrival to Jeremie...

This has been the longest time I've spent away from the city  where I lived for three years, Jeremie in the Grand Anse of Haiti.  This time I returned with Uplift Health co-founder, Jean-Philippe Therrien and his seven year old son, Julien.  Since I left, they've terminated the once-a-day flight, so we arrived on a small, nine passenger plane flown by Missionary Aviation Flights.   

We traveled with four donated computers, two in very good condition and two that will be able to perform some functions as soon as we do a little more tinkering. 

For the next two weeks we're working with our three students who will be responsible for teaching and leading the program at the end of their four months of training.  They are helping us to test and develop the curriculum based on their interests.  

We are starting on the most in-demand lessons, English and Spanish classes, now that we've found an online program.  The students take their language pre-tests today, then start the first lessons.   

Never using a keyboard before, one student requested a speed typing program, so I looked up the very old fashioned typing tutor, and we'll practice the home keys today.  ASDF JKL;!  They're learning on English/QWERTY keyboards since the vast majority of computers used in workplaces come from the U.S. (as do our donated computers).

Tomorrow we're launching into a discussion of what it means to be a leader, based on weeks of research they conducted on their own to write essays on the topic.

Apologies to our friends still awaiting a thank you and your letter for your donation!  They'll be coming very soon.  In the meantime a HUGE thank you from all of us.  

If you are interested, please let me know and I will email updates about our progress which will include some information that we won't be posting online...