Graces from Haiti, New Orleans, California--adult literacy, baskets made of recycled JAMBAR wrappers, and several musical treats

We Masses are always making good news

Hello, friends on Substack,

Thanks once more for the Comments, Notes, Subscriptions, … I very much enjoy exchanges and the community on Substack. Looks like we’re creating alternatives!

Below are images and news from the latest update to the website for Sticking Up For Children, SUFC (named by Cyril and Gaynielle Neville) is Maryse’s and my effort with three Schools and an Orphanage in Haiti and with Partners in New Orleans, California and elsewhere. I hope you’ll dig the marvels (we think) that students and staffs are accomplishing despite much duress in Haiti. Thanks to our Partners everywhere! If you want to see and hear more, you can hop over HERE

Lèkol Toupatou (School Everywhere) represents the life’s work of Madame Franck Paul, Maryse’s aunt. Mme. Franck Paul began to teach Public School in Haiti in 1953, when she was 17. She founded College Canapé-Vert in Port-au-Prince during the Baby Doc Duvalier year of 1974. The Colleage has since graduated more than 20,000 students. Mme. Franck Paul has written more than 20 books, most of then stories for children that feature the irrepressible Madame Roger. Lèkol is her and her Team’s effort to provide means for literacy Everywhere (Toupatou) in Haiti through the more than 140 audio and video Lessons drawn from Mme. Franck Paul’s 243-page textbook, Mon Livre Unqiue. Odette and Ytolia travel to the College on Saturdays as they learn to read and write.

Lekol Toupatou is also happening in Cayes Jacmel on Haiti’s southern coast. Educators Marie Lyne and Lupson Pasteur founded the Youpi Youpi (Happy Happy in Haitian Kréyol) school there two years before the horrific earthquake of January 12, 2010, Marie Yolène Desrial is now teaching 18 adults through the online Lessons and pages from Mon Livre Unique. Students identify themselves in the Graces … update.

Oh yes, we got MUSIC in the Update, too. Mme. Marie-Marthe Balin Franck Paul is also a songwriter. Please hope on over and enjoy her “On a vole la lune”—”Who stole the moon”—as arranged by Jonny Clerveaux and sung by Ludmila Elie.

Societe Verte Haiti (So.Ve.H) has worked with students from the EFE school and the FEPE orphange since 2017 to recycle plastic and other materials. This past June a work-party at EFE wove wrappers of the JAMBAR organic energy-bar into fabrics that now make up baskets and purses. Hail JAMBAR! JAMBAR of Marin Couty, California has donated more than 3000 bars to students in Haiti since December 2021.

Now, how d’ya like that!

The ‘Graces …’ update concludes with three instrumental excerpts from “Bobee (What A Spirit Walks That Way'“, a tune by Roger Lewis that he and Herlin Riley and Kirk Joseph and I recorded for Roger’s album ALRIGHT!

What a power-trio these players, steeped in New Orleans, make! You can hear MORE from ALRIGHT1 and see how this album has topped Charts, one page on the Ur1Light.com website, HERE.