Geri Lanham, a 2nd year Quest-Volunteer for Haiti, brings to our consciousness that the ability to attend school is not something we should take for granted. Receiving an education in Haiti is “a lifeline for many families… Lekó Jezi-Mari started under a mango tree in 1998.” Little by little, the bird builds its nest…
At Lekòl Jezi-Mari, little by little, the bird builds its nest
by Geri Lanham
As I approach, I see students looking sharp in their pressed sunshine-yellow and chocolate-brown uniforms. These 576 students are a living, breathing embodiment of Lekòl Jezi-Mari and the education they are receiving, which is a lifeline for many of their families.
The majority of these students come from low socioeconomic backgrounds. For them, the school is not just a place of book learning. It is also a place to learn life skills and to learn to interact with one another and with teachers who have compassion for them and who want them to succeed against the odds stacked against them. Some of these students will be the first in their families to graduate from sixth grade.