The 2017 KPP Annual Summer Camp was held in Port-a-Piment for 2 weeks, from Monday July 10th through Friday July 21st.
Many challenges, mostly due to the ill effects of Hurricane Matthew had to be surmounted. For one, the locale used for the last 2 years was in the midst of an extensive renovation. Also, the buses used to ferry students on outings were not yet back in use. KPP stands grateful to the Sisters of St Anne, and particularly to Sister Yvelyne Fevrier, Director of the College Stella Maris, who agreed to the use of their facilities.
Recognizing the difficult moments encountered by the children in the wake of Matthew, KPP had set out to increase the number of participants and bring more Joy to the lives of the little ones. The 2017 Summer Camp counted 80 participants, or 20 more than the preceding year. As in the past, all participants were selected by their respective school administrators on the basis of academic excellence.
Under the guidance of Mrs. Paule Edline Orcel, Camp Director, the children enjoyed different activities throughout the day.
A typical day’s schedule would include:
Morning Prayer
Sports
Morning Talk
Breakfast of Porridge with Bread and Peanut Butter or Spaghetti and Herring
Welcoming a Guest Speaker
Activities, Individual or in Groups, including Songs, Poems, Puzzles, Arts and Crafts, Contests
Lunch of Sausages, Meatballs, “Legumes” or Fish with Rice or Cornmeal and Beans
Group activities and rehearsal of skits for the Graduation Ceremony.
During the Morning Talk, Mrs. Orcel and Mr. Frantz Jean, KPP President, discussed and reinforced the Camp’s themes which were – for the first week: How to be a Good Citizen, and for the second week: Loving Nature and Protecting the Environment.
The Guest speakers included Mrs. Violette Jean , nurse at the local hospital, Mr. Phedeau Lubin, an environmental specialist; Father Cherfils, Pastor of the Church of Notre Dame du Rosaire, Officer Paul Raymond of the Port-a-Piment Commisariat; Mr. Abraham Gentil , Professor of Civics.
On Friday the 21st, the children, dressed in their Sunday best, and accompanied by their parents, participated in a graduation ceremony, where they recited poems, performed skits, songs and traditional dances. Mrs. Orcel, Mr. Frantz Jean, and Mrs. Carolle Paul, Vice President of KPP, Inc took turns to thank the parents for their trust, the children for their performance in school, and their stellar behavior at Camp. They reiterated the goals of Konbit Pou Potapiman which include promoting the value of Education and maximizing individual performance.
In turn, one parent, Mrs. Gina Regis expressed the thanks of the community for these precious moments provided to the children of our beloved town.
Each child was awarded a Certificate of Attendance, and the gift of a school bag to prepare for the new academic year.
A modest reception of Punch and Sandwiches was enjoyed by all.
Konbit Pou Potapiman presents its sincere thanks to Mrs. Paule Edline Orcel, and her team of monitors, kitchen and safety personnel, and general helpers who did a fantastic job of teaching life skills to the children in a relaxed and entertaining atmosphere, feeding them delicious meals and keeping them safe.
Thank you to our guest speakers who took the time to share their passion with the children.
Thank you to the special contributors to this project: JGR COPA LLC of Hollywood Florida, Food for the Poor-Haiti-, Mrs Doris A Izmery, Mrs Marie-Therèse Boulos of Petracheve, Mr. Fenold Appolon, Mr. Adeemir Dacenay. Your contributions were very much appreciated by the kids and staff.
Thank you to Dr Eileen Jerome, and The Links Incorporated (FL) Fort Lauderdale Chapter for the donation of school bags to the children of Port-a-Piment.
Thank you to Carolle Paul, Frantz and Nicole Jean for planning different aspects of the Summer Camp for the last 5 years.
And Thank You to each and every one who through a generous donation supported KPP in this activity. We at KPP, as well as the children of Port-a-Piment, will forever be grateful.. Please click on this link:
