To make believe:
(idiomatic) To pretend or imagine. To form a mental image of something; to envision or create something in one’s mind.

For our January 2013 trip to Haiti we will be creating an under the sea adventure for classrooms, hospitals and orphanage bedrooms. Sirèn, zetwal lamè ak avanti anba dlo a (mermaids, sea stars and underwater adventures) will abound.

Christopher Columbus reported seeing mermaids while exploring the Caribbean 500 years ago.   People have spotted mermaids in the blue waters ever since. Since we are believers of magic, it is our goal for our January 2013 trip to create sirèn, zetwal lamè ak avanti anba dlo a (mermaids, sea stars and underwater adventures) in the bedrooms of all our girls in Haiti.

 

We are now collecting glitter, sequins, clear umbrellas, shiny fabric and other sea-related trinkets to take down to Haiti with us. We’ll be creating mermaid tail pajamas for all the girls. Decorating their walls with ocean drawings, toilet paper mermaids, blue fabric and streamers, umbrella jelly fish and paper plate sea stars.

 

We’ll also be creating our newest addition to the Art + Literacy program around an underwater theme.

Among the Neo-Taíno nations of the Caribbean, the mermaid is called Aycayia. Her attributes relate to the goddess Jagua and the hibiscus flower of the majagua tree Hibiscus tiliaceus.In modern Caribbean culture, the mermaid is found as the Haitian Vodou Loa La Sirene (lit. “the mermaid”) who is the loa of wealth and beauty and the orisha Yemaya.

To learn more about getting involved, click here