School and Day Camp
School – Melissa’s Hope is also a school for 70 local kids. Each student receives a uniform, school materials, and a hot meal after school. There are six teachers on staff and the curriculum includes Mathematics, French/Creole, Science, Social Studies, Art, and Writing.
Restavec – Domestic Servants: Ninety percent of the children are “restavec” (a Creole word that means “stay with.”) Kids from very poor families are sent to “stay with” someone in the city as a domestic servant. Normally, they wouldn’t attend school, so Melissa’s Hope offers the restavec a free education and provides the uniforms and supplies.
Camp – Following the Haitian earthquake of 2010, Melissa’s Hope created a social program to help Haitian youth cope with the aftermath. At the day camp, there are a variety of activities including arts & crafts, cooking classes, soccer tournaments, and movie screenings. The welcoming atmosphere of the Camp attracts local children and gives them a safe place to discuss the challenges of tent life, painful memories, and loss of family and friends.
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