Port-au-Prince, Haiti -United Initiatives for Peace and Religious Youth Service are partnering to offer the children of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, a special summer Youth Enrichment Camp. We would like to let you know what this exciting summer program is about in order to encourage you to volunteer or contribute to this project's success.
What: A two-week overnight youth enrichment camp offering sports, arts, music, dance, field trips, life skills, personal growth, and team-building activities.
Who is being helped: This project is for 250 boys and girls ages 8 to 18 from the greater Port-au-Prince area affected by the January 12 earthquake, who are currently living in tent villages and other compromised conditions.
Why: To offer Haiti’s youth a positive, educational, healthy, and fun environment where confidence, creativity, and hope can be unleashed.
When: Sunday, August 15 to Sunday, August 29, 2010
Where: The Haitian Academy near Titanyen, 15 miles north of Port-au-Prince (L’Academie Haitienne) www.haitianacademy.net
Long-term plans
The Haitian Academy is equipped with a full-service medical clinic on-site and a primary and secondary school as well as an accredited medical college. We will be offering assistance to help it repair and expand its facilities as a way to serve the general public. We will be building temporary housing, donating medical supplies and equipment, and recruiting both short-term and longer-term medical and professional volunteers.
Your help will provide the following sponsorship for a child:
- $19.00 covers all daily expenses for 1 child
- $260.00 sponsors 1 camper for the entire two-week overnight camp
Overhead costs
- $300.00 covers the cost to run a generator for 24 hours
- $200.00 covers the cost for transportation for 1 field trip (all campers)
- $75.00 buys 1 tent that will sleep 5 campers
- $10.00 buys 1 sleeping bag that is given to each camper (to keep!)
- $1.00 still helps!
Daily expenses
Food (breakfast, lunch, snack, dinner), generator, transportation for field trips (via bus), tents, sleeping bags, camp T-shirt, art supplies (paint, paper, mosaic supplies, etc.), sports equipment (volleyballs, soccer balls, basketballs, jump ropes, etc.), general toiletries (towels, soap, shampoo, toothbrushes, toothpaste, toilet paper), maintenance staff (security guards, cooks, bus driver), etc.
Volunteers needed:
We are seeking 30 qualified volunteers from both the USA and the Caribbean region as well as local Haitian volunteers to be part of the two-week camp. Because of the level of needs today in Haiti, volunteers need to be at least 18 years of age and be capable of offering specific skills and special talents (art, music, sports, dance, etc.) that will benefit the camp, its participants, and/or the local community. In particular, volunteers who can speak Creole or French are needed. All volunteers are responsible for paying their own travel, contributing $450 for room and board, and bringing supplies for activities they will be directing. Please apply on line at: www.rys.net.
If you would like to intern or volunteer for an extended period of time, please contact the Haitian Academy directly at: www.haitianacademy.net.
Tax-exempt donations
The youth camp is being organized and financed through United Initiatives for Peace, a 501-C(3) tax-exempt international public charity registered in New Jersey, USA, and the Universal Peace Federation also a 501-C(3) tax-exempt international public charity. Donations made to these organization are tax deductible. Checks written to both the “United Initiatives for Peace” and the Universal Peace Foundation will only be used for this project.
United Initiatives for Peace, PO Box 10183, Newark, New Jersey 07101, USA
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Universal Peace Federation, 200 White Plains Rd., Tarrytown NY 10591 USA. Paypal donations may be made by clicking here.
Questions? Call us at (973) 220-5630 or visit us online at www.unitedinitiatives.org or www.rys.net.
NOTE: Diesa Seidel is running in the San Diego marathon June 6 to help generate awareness and funds for the summer camp.
