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Must-see Destination in Haiti: Fort Jacques, in Kenscoff

8/19/2018

Fort Jacques is tucked up and away in the beautiful mountains of Kenscoff near Pétionville and Port-au-Prince. The drive to the historical area is super easy compared to some other rugged locations we've visited. From the top, you can see the bay of Port-au-Prince...what a beautiful view!

There are two forts named after Alexandre in honor of General Alexandre Pétion and Jacques in honor of Jean-Jacques Dessalines. We only visited Fort Jacques, which is restored and kept maintained, however Fort Alexandre (east of Fort Jacques) is not. Every May 18 (Haitian flag day), there's a celebration with music and fun. It's definitely worth the view! Oh, and DO NOT MISS the outdoor griot spot in Kenscoff...it's the best!

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Get a Glimpse of what 'Back to School' is like in Haiti

8/10/2018

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The Importance of an Education in Haiti
I have yet to meet a Haitian that doesn't think school is important. School is a top priority among Haitian parents and families. No matter how poor or wealthy, everyone values education in Haiti. Despite what you may read or hear in the news, the majority of Haitian children go to school. Parents will do everything that they can to make sure their child gets an education no matter what. Their determination is one of those things that fascinates me most about the Haitian culture.

Just like we do in the United States, parents and students in Haiti prepare to go back to school in the same ways as us. Because I've never attended school in Haiti, I can't express my experiences on that. So, I asked a friend of mine, Fedno Lubin, who is a student in Jacmel, Haiti. Fedno is also a photographer who I hire occasionally to capture The Real Haiti. *All photos on this post are by Fedno Lubin*

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Washing her uniform by hand for back to school in Haiti

Hanging up her uniform to dry on a clothesline at home

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Preparing for back to school in Haiti

About Schools in Haiti
Haitian students primarily go to private schools, which means there's tuition fees or there are tuition waiver programs available to some. Here's a breakdown of how the education system in Haiti works: (research info below provided by classbase.com)

Primary - Ecole Premiere (Traditional System), ages 6 to 12-years-old. Certificate/Diploma awarded: Certificate of Beginning Studies. Haiti Educational system is based on the French system. French remains the language of instruction in the private schools, however Creole and French are used in the public schools.
Middle - Ecole Fondamentale (Reform System), ages 6 to 15-years-old. Certificate/Diploma awarded: Brevet d’Enseignment Fondamental.
Middle - Secondary School (Traditional System), ages 12 to 15-years-old. Certificate/Diploma awarded: Brevet Elementaire du Premier Cycle.
Secondary - Secondary (Reform System), ages 15 to 18-years-old. Certificate/Diploma awarded: Baccalaureat; Diplome d’Enseignement Secondaire.
Secondary - Technical Secondary School, ages 15 to 18-years-old. Certificate/Diploma awarded: Technical Certificate.
Secondary - Secondary School (Traditional System), ages 15 to 19-years-old. Certificate/Diploma awarded: Baccalaureat II.
Tertiary - Higher education. Higher education is provided by the universities and other public and private institutions governed by the Ministry of Education. The university system is composed currently of four or five private institutions in addition to the State University of Haiti. All higher education institutions are located in the capital city. They offer a degree in law, medicine, pharmacy, dentistry, engineering, agriculture and veterinary sciences, education, social sciences (mainly ethnology and psychology), economics, business administration, linguistics, international studies, and African studies.

Common grading scales:
80.00 - 100.00 or 8.00 - 10.00 Très Bien (Very Good) US - A
70.00 - 79.99 or 7.00 - 7.99 Bien (Good) US - B
60.00 - 69.99 or 6.00 - 6.99 Assez bien (Satisfactory) US - C
50.00 - 59.99 or 5.00 - 5.99 Passable (Sufficient) US - D
0.00 - 49.99 or 1.00 - 4.99 Mal (Fail) US - F

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Mother fixing her son's uniform for the first day of school

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Getting his shoes shined before school...always looking fresh

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Students walk to school or take a tap tap bus

According to the Ministry of Education in Haiti, the official school calendar has September 4 as the start day for back to school.

Now that you know more about back to school in Haiti, what can you do to teach your kids or students about it and Haitian culture?
For those of you who want to teach your kids or students about Haiti, here's a list of resources available to you:

Facts, pictures, videos, practice lessons and more about Haiti, visit our kids section of our site
Freebie worksheets and posters on The Real Haiti - map, numbers, food and colors
Order a printed book or digital book written by us called Violette and her love. Mermaid Violette is madly in love. Her friends -- a crab, fish, dolphin, jellyfish and shrimp, all wonder who Violette loves so much and can't live without. Read the book to find out who the lucky one is! Written in English and Haitian Creole.
Decorate your kid's room, playroom or your classroom with Haitian Creole wall art prints.

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What are your favorite memories of 'back to school' in Haiti or somewhere else! Share it with us below in the comments.

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Take a Tour of our Haiti Inspired Playroom

8/1/2018

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Since we have little ones now, I've done something I never thought I'd do - I converted our dining room (which we actually used) to a playroom! Crazy, I know. I am an interior design wannabe with a wannabe minor in decorating.

Our home is full of Haitian art in all different forms like paintings, sculptures, statues, papier mache, woven materials and mosaics. Since I had so much of the Haitian decor already, I figured why not create a Haiti inspired playroom!

First thing first, I had my husband raise the gigantic chandelier so adults would stop bumping their heads on it. Some of the Haitian paintings were already hung so that made the wall decor easy. Check out our unique Haitian paintings for sale here.

Playroom Decor from Haiti or Inspired by Haiti
Then, I moved this super bold green, beige and black rug into the playroom. You can purchase the rug on Houzz.com - it's only $102 now for size 8 x 10! That's an amazing price because the rug is awesome quality, thick and easy to spot clean.

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Next, I gathered some of my favorite art that was colorful. The papier mache pieces were made in Jacmel, Haiti and are of a Haitian tap tap bus, a rooster and a giraffe. I bought these in Haiti so I can't link them, but I found these awesome ones:

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These paintings were done by my husband's cousin in Haiti. The one in the green frame was painted on a burlap sak and glued to a hard cardboard material. The frame is actually one that I found in the garbage! It was originally gold and had an ugly horse painting in it. Thankfully the Haitian painting was the exact same size! (fun fact - I love repurposing things and thrifting...it's one of my favorite things to do!)

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The Neg Mawon wood sculpture is also one of my favorites! We bought it from a local Haitian artist named Francois Sanon in La Boule 12. (fun fact - This heavy sculpture was our carry on item on the airplane from a trip to Haiti. Everyone was stopping to ask about it.) The video is an interview and tour of his studio in Haiti!

This is my most favorite blanket that I have for my boys! I bought it when I was pregnant with the first baby. I love buying handmade items from Haiti and when I saw this baby blanket, I couldn't resist! It has kept the same exact shape since when I bought it, it's just softer now. It's 32'' x 32'', a perfect size for baby or even a toddler. It's not too hot or heavy; it's really perfect. Shop the link or click here. The toddler rocking chair is from Home Goods.

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Playroom Inspiration
If you're tired of stepping on legos and tripping over trucks, try dedicating a corner (or a room if you have the space) for the toys to make a playroom or play area. It's nice to have the toys in one area so that we could have our living room back. I have a playroom board on Pinterest where I got my inspiration! Check it out here.

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Save Money and The Earth by Adding Thrifted Toys to Your Playroom
These toys have nothing to do with Haiti, but I thought I'd share some tips with you. As a first time mom, I bought so much stuff that I thought I needed or the baby needed! This second time around, I am much more aware of what I buy because I realize how short of a time the baby will use it.

Try Goodwill for amazing gently used toys like the wooden activity toy in our playroom. I got ours for $5.99 (compared to $59.99 brand new)! I was not looking for any toys on that trip, especially one like this, but I could not pass up this amazing deal. I also found the zebra walker at Goodwill for $3.99! I had given our old one away, so I am glad I found this one on the cheap.

I found the Baby Einstein bouncy chair at Once Upon a Child, a thrift store with kids clothes and gear. It was $50 versus $88.99!

Other Fun Haiti Inspired Things in Our Playroom
Add this short story book to your collection! It was written and designed by me :)

Mermaid Violette is madly in love. Her friends -- a crab, fish, dolphin, jellyfish and shrimp, all wonder who Violette loves so much and can't live without. Read the book to find out who the lucky one is!
The story is written in English. Bonus pages of sea creatures in English and Haitian Creole!