The smiles of happy children warm anyone’s heart. Project Redwood’s holiday card was designed to bring cheer to all of our classmates…but it also brightened the day of Susy Whitcomb, the president of our grantee, Haitian Educational Initiatives (HEI). Read her note of thanks and learn the connection between a peanut butter sandwich, a happy kid, and a better education:
I was absolutely thrilled to open PRW’s Christmas card and to see what gorgeous use you made of the HEI material. I love it! Your grant is already making a huge impact.
The addition of an afternoon snack to our tutoring program has transformed attendance and performance. No parent will allow her child to miss the peanut butter sandwich and juice each day, so every child is attending the sessions and they are lively, happy, and alert. Our problem now is having to turn children away because we are currently at maximum capacity.
Also, I delivered six more computers in November so we can expand the number of children taking lessons and hire a proper instructor.
On behalf of all the children and staff in Jacmel*, as well as the Board of HEI, I thank you for your invaluable support and wish you a very happy holiday season.
Martha Parry Clark sponsored this project. Learn more about Project Redwood’s support of HEI at: http://projectredwood.org/haitian-education-initiatives
* A port city in Haiti devastated by the 2010 earthquake.
The parents and children of Haiti are on to a good thing – peanut butter and education. I may have a genetic predisposition to peanut butter. My father would regularly make a Saturday lunch of peanut butter, Ritz Cracker and sharp cheddar cheese – plus a cup of coffee. And he would share some wisdom like “moderation in all things”, “you can do anything you choose, as long as you accept the consequences … all of them, including those that you cannot control” or “respect more before you expect more”. To this day my wife limits the amount of peanut butter in our kitchen for fear that I will consume too much, too fast. But she generally doesn’t restrict conveying my Dad’s wisdom to our kids.
My mother’s favorite peanut butter lunch was peanut butter and sliced green olives (the ones with the pimento centers). I wonder if odd tastes in peanut butter prevailed in our parents generation?
Peanut butter is my comfort food and a healthy snack on whole wheat. A friend is leading a trip to Nicaragua in January and jars of peanut butter are the #1 suitcase stuffer giveaway. Peanut butter (and jelly) is our three year old grand daughters’ favorite food too. Apparently it can appeal to all ages and cultures.
Kudos to Martha Parry Clark for bringing this idea to Project Redwood. We have the means to do so much; often it’s finding the right place and the right way to help people improve their lives that’s the most difficult. Here we have it!