From Joan Conn - Executive Director - May 15, 2010
Monday morning was a big day. Oscar, Nadine, Djougine, Roslyn, and I met Gary Allegretto, founder of Harmonikids, to head out for our first day of the Harmonikids music therapy program.
We began at one of the schools we partner with just outside of Cite Soliel, well-known to be the poorest area in Haiti. Our Foundation has partnered with this school for the past two years, providing education for children living as restavek in this community as well as the many at-risk children. Thanks to our generous donors we have been able to provide food relief in addition to educational opportunities, but today we hoped not only to feed their physical and mental needs but also to feed their souls.
We arrived to greet 90 anxiously awaiting children. They knew we were coming to do a music program, but they had no idea what was really about to happen.
When Gary Allegretto stands up at the front, the children listen. All eyes are riveted on Gary as he begins to play and teach. First he entertained the students with his incredible talent. The students provided a wonderful audience, applauding with enthusiasm each song Gary performed. He demonstrated how he could play harmonica through his ear and was so convincing that he had to explain to the students that it was merely a trick as he watched the children trying to perform this feat for themselves.
The joy for all of us was seeing the smiles on the children’s faces. Some were so excited that you could visibly see them shake. They embraced the harmonica with intensity learning to play two songs before it was time to say good-by. Each student clutched their harmonica with protectiveness as they returned to class with bright smiling faces. We understood only too well that the teachers would be in for a challenge the rest of the day trying to harness the excitement.
For the school directors, it was a sign of hope. Runner, the director of this school, said, “You coming here today gives up hope, hope for the children and hope for Haiti.”
Sister Kitley, the director of one of our partner schools in Delmas 11, was at first concerned that if we offered the music lessons to only the children in our program, the other children would be so disappointed. When she learned that we hoped to share the program with all of the children in the afternoon program, she was so thrilled. And she turned out to be one of our more enthusiastic participants—blowing her harp with passion!
All in all, we went to seven of our schools in four days! Wish all of you could have witnessed the joy on the children’s faces (and ours) as we saw more than 750 children experience the gift of making music, many for the first time!!!
We hope Gary will be able to return to Haiti soon, where I am sure he will be greeted by large throngs of children all tooting and hooting with much joy and eagerness.
A big thanks to Marc Lempert too who captured 9 hours of awesome video. We wish everyone could see the kids playing harmonicas in person, but the video will be a great way to experience the joy we witnessed! Check back on our website www.restavekfreedom.org or the Harmonikids website www.harmonikids.org soon where we’ll post the videos.
What a great week! We so love seeing these kids smile!
There are 300,000 children living in restavek in Haiti...but not for long. We want to end this form of child slavery in our lifetimes. Join us in Standing Up for Freedom.
