Giving is so Good! NY based Fleur De Vie (“Flower of Life”) recently sponsored its 2nd Annual Back to School Recreational event in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. A team of professional volunteers from across the United States joined forces with over 100 volunteers in Haiti to provide a fun-filled event promoting education and health awareness to 700 students from neighboring schools. The program took place on Saturday, September 28, 2013.
The theme of this year’s Fleur De Vie event is “Replanting Our Roots for a Better Future.” Led by founder and fashion designer, Dayanne Danier, the project aims to put education at the root for a better future in Haiti. “Going back to school is always an exciting time in a student’s life. At the same time, the preparation adds a lot of pressure to parents and schools in Haiti. Fleur De Vie alongside our partnering sponsors host this event to ease some of those challenges and while getting students enthusiastic about the upcoming year,” Danier tells BCG.
With activities focused on health and education, students from a number of schools in the Port-Au-Prince area received basic health screenings by a team from Dash Procare Health. Dr. Karl Latorture of SEL Medical Group in New York took part in the Health screening and had this to share “If a child is sick, how can he focus in school. If a child has vision problems, how can he see the lesson on the board, Health and education go hand in hand. If we diaspora can help the community in Haiti see that, it will help for the future”. They were also examined by a team of local dentists from Haiti, and tested for vision by a group of opticians from the country. The day also included environmental lessons and games that focus on physical activity and teamwork, as well as live entertainment provided by Haitian DJ Klasik.
The project is designed to support community based schools in Haiti that are striving to stay afloat. It also takes into account the important role the public and private sectors, including the community could play in setting foundations for a stronger education system in Haiti.
The Recreational event was made possible through the generous support from corporate partners Perry Ellis International, Gildan, Digicel, and Sun Auto; Our health and environmental partners: Dash Procare and Sanco Haiti, Our In-Kind donors: Colgate, Modell’s Sporting Goods, Harborlite Distribution, Café Rebo, Culligan/Caribbean Cool, Brasserie National, and Natrans. Additional sponsorship provided by Hawtan Leathers and Raytex Industries. Check out the photos below and for more information on how you can support this cause and maybe participate next year visit www.fleurdevieonlne.org.
