The very resourceful Haitians have a long history of traveling by Tap Taps, which are some of the most colorful vehicles you will ever see. Click HERE to download this original coloring page for FREE.
Here’s a fun fact about their name – when a traveler wants to get off at a stop, they reach out and “tap, tap” the side to let the driver know to slow down. How efficient is that?
Each trip to Haiti, we tote along five foot Literacy posters showcasing memorable childrens books in English, Kreyol and French. After reading stories with children of all ages we settle into an art activity.
For Dr. Seuss’ Green Eggs and Ham, it was easy to incorporate our beloved Moringa Powder into the eggs and cover everything in a rainbow cloud of vivacity.
Big love, as always, to Aimee Gaines and Sarah Boll for making this program chug along the train trucks to our final destination — even when we’re short on coal, man power and solid foundational tracks.
Thank you Liz Ancker for taking one for the team and sporting rainbow dyed hands for a week at a time 😉
We need YOU! Donate books ideas, art supplies and best of all: cold, hard ca$h by clicking here: http://projecthopeart.org/fundraising-and-philanthropy/
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Staggering Illiteracy Rates in Haiti:
Frighteningly low literacy rates continue to be one of the biggest obstacles in Haiti’s struggle against poverty and stagnation. While Haiti’s Constitution guarantees free public education for all citizens, the government has been unable to fulfill this obligation. In fact, the average Haitian attends fewer than five years of school total, and only 20% of the population attends school after the 6th grade. As a result, many children never learn to read and write, and Haiti’s literacy rate hovers at only 55%, as compared to 99% in the United States and 90% for other Caribbean nations. (sources: World Bank and Library of Congress literacy statistics)
Renegade Storytelling Project:
In response to these illiteracy rates, Project HOPE Art created an Art & Literacy project to promote interest in stories using some of the world’s most beloved children’s books as our tool.
Our Renegade Storytelling Project kicked off in April of 2012 at the OJFA orphanage and the Centre d’Education et de Formattion des Jeunes in Port-Au-Prince, featuring Maurice Sendak’s classic Where The Wild Things Are.
We used a combination of story hours, art projects, and giant story posters to tell the tales and capture imaginations.
We LOVE the girls of OJFA so much, we wanted each girl to have a piece of our heart. Lead Artist Jenni Ward created these magic wands so the girls could invoke magic and hold tight to the idea that even from afar, we love them so much.
You can support Art in Haiti AND have your very own coeurs magiques by clicking here.
The Santa Cruz Art League in Santa Cruz & earth art studio in Aptos
Thank you for your support!!
Bwat Aliminyom means Aluminum Cans, in Kreyòl.
We are always looking for ways to create fun, whimsy and art from unwanted discarded materials. So when Delphine Bedu spied these cans on a pier in Key West, Florida all of us sat up and took notice.
As we speak, our home team artists at the Project HOPE Art Center at HC, Racine Polycarpe, Claudel Casseus and Romel Jean Pierre are devising a class around upcycling cans into planes, boats and cars. On the last Sunday in April 2013, 10 children from local orphanages will be on site at our art center creating their dream vehicle in a class led by Racine and Claudel.
They will compete in a Can Race and we will be awarding tools and art supplies to the winner of the race.
The race will be captured as the first assignment by the students in our new photography class. Stay tuned for the results. We will be sure to post instructions and best practices in early summer so you may host your own Can Race.
If you’d like to get involved, we are ALWAYS accepting donations to stay afloat. In fact we need to raise $1,000 to make this Can Race happen.
Click here: http://projecthopeart.org/fundraising-and-philanthropy/
We’ve been working with the Magic Moringa Tree for nearly a year.
We have passed out 20 literary packets of information, in Kreyol, about the Moringa Tree to teachers, educators and community caretakers all over Port au Prince. That is nearly 2,000 pages of solid anti-malnutrition information.
All that reading material led to roughly 200 Moringa Trees being planted in Cite Soleil by teacher Luc Winter of RAJEPRE.
Now with the help of a few pods of our favorite children in Haiti we have created a Magic Moringa book. Read all about it here
“The day the hunger is eradicated from the earth there will be the greatest spiritual explosion the world has ever known. Humanity cannot imagine the joy that will burst onto the world.” –Federico Garcia Lorca, Spanish poet
Sun, soil, earth, trees, vegetables, shade, water and nourishment all contribute to a healthier long term life. This cookbook and vegetable garden guide will give upcycled art planter activities, recipes and information to help the growing number of Haitians who lack sufficient vitamins, calories, minerals and balance in their diets. Featuring paintings, drawings, photographs and recipes created by children in Carrefour Feuille and Cite Soleil during the summer of 2012.
PLUS! An entire chapter focused on growing the magic Moringa Tree and every book delivered in Haiti will contain two Moringa Seeds so kids can replant their neighborhoods.
A perfect gift for the Holiday Season you can place an order until December 3rd.