Located in Les Palmes, in the mountains of Petit-Goave, Haiti, the Lafonbelle Campsite is dedicated to all people, from Haiti or from abroad who need a place for evasion, meditation or for sourcing mental energy. Students, professionals, social/church groups and clubs will love this refuge far away from the noise of the "modern world."
Lafondbelle Exchange Program
Welcome to the Lafonbelle Exchange program. This program has been developed to allow you to have a truly great experience where you have the chance to discover the hidden beauties of Haiti, to contribute to the development of an active community, and to reflect about one’s place and purpose on this planet. A arrangement between your institution, the MEANCE family and the Lafond community will play out to make your 10-day stay in Haiti and Lafond one of the most memorable moments of your life. They will work with you to identify ahead of time a meaningful service project for you or your group to implement in Lafond and will share information with you about the village of Lafond. Day by day, they will plan the trip with you and will keep you informed about the general situation in Haiti. The trip will combine community work, cultural events and walks through the community so you can become immersed in the daily life in the short time that you will spend in Lafond.
Outcomes of the Service Learning Trip:
* The participants have successfully completed a service project aimed at improving living conditions in the community or improving the learning conditions at the school of Lafond or teaching new skills to the children of Lafond and/or members of the community.
* The participants have initiated lasting relationships with the community of Lafond
* The partipants have broadened their perspetives on life and have learned about aspects of Haiti not commonly reported in the media.
* The participants have become aware of challenges people in the developing world are facing and issues that are shaping the future of our planet.
* The participants are eager to share with colleagues and/or classmates their experience in Haiti and to get them interested in a similar experience.
FRIDAY. You will arrive at the Toussaint Louverture airport Friday afternoon. You will be met by the local Coordinator Jacques Meance. You will have the opportunity to drive across crowded Port-au-Prince and after two hours you will arrive at Bel Accueil Bed and Breakfast , where Mrs MEANCE will serve you a dinner of which only a Granma like her knows the secret. You will have an Introduction to Haiti by Bertin MEANCE followed by anouncement by your instructor before going to bed.
SATURDAY. You will board the 4 X 4 and climb 1000 meters to Lafond while becoming aware of the environmental challenges Haiti is facing. Little by little, the air will become cooler as you climb higher until you arrive to the campsite. Your afternoon will be spent getting acquainted with the place and the individuals that will become your friends. This is a good time to take pictures of the scenery. Please refrain from taking pictures of children and adults without their awareness.
SUNDAY. You have the choice between several church services in the area, specifically the Lafond Wesleyan Church of Pastor Jacques Meance or the Catholic Church. Worshippers of the Virgin Mary can also climb a steep hill while saying the Rosary until they discover the grotto. Those curious about the Vodou religion, as practiced in Lafond, can meet with voodoo priestess Madam Katil. She will answer your questions. In the evening, a folk music group will offer you a serenade of Haitian folks music as a way to welcome you in Lafond.
MONDAY. Service Day One. You will be working with the local community on the service project you have decided to support. See Annex one for a list of possible projects. In the early evening, members will have the choice between a walk across the community of Lafond or to play soccer with the children and young teenagers from the school of Lafond. Pastor Jacques and other grownups will want to join the fun.
TUESDAY. Service Day Two. You will be working with the locals on the service project you have decided to support. Tuesday is also market day. A few members of the group will be asked to go to the market. The cook will give you a list of fruits and vegetables to buy for him and a certain amount of money. One or two student guides from the Lafond School will accompany you and walk you through the art of bargaining in Haiti. On your way to the market, you will discover the strength of Haitian women as they walk with their donkey, or mule, a basket on their head to rush to the market. You will have the chance to observe the import-export systems and see how people are managing to earn some income. In the evening, you will already have learned that soccer is like a religion for the youngsters in Lafond and that it is daily appointment. You can also teach the children and youngsters to play your card games and vice-versa. Bertin MEANCE will give a presentation about Haitian history and you will discover the global reach of the Haitian revolution as the Haitian forefathers helped write nice pages in the History of the American continent.
WEDNESDAY. Service day Three. This is a day to really concentrate on your service project. You are already half way through your Haiti trip. You may start to feel overwhelmed. You already have so much to process. But, you will also have learned that the service project is also about meeting new people & making new friends. In the early evening, you will have the opportunity to take a walk to another neighboring community to have an idea of their needs.
THURSDAY. Service Day Four. If the service project has advanced well, some members of the group will want to take up the challenge of hiking to Fort-Gary. It takes about three hours to climb down to the river and then up to Fort-Gary. The return trip is about the same amount of time. This is a small fortress built by the Haitian military after the Independence to deter the French from re-establishing slavery in their former colony. After you hike to the Fort and back, you will be proud of this achievement. Perhaps you will then take other challenges with more confidence. Many people from Lafond will volunteer accompany you through this.
FRIDAY. Service Day Five. You will have developed a relationship with the beneficiaries and those who worked alongside you. It will be a day to finish the job and contemplate what has been accomplished. In the evening, the community will gather around you for a moment of gratitude. A local group will play folk music and the school children will perform a few choreographs. You will also be invited to write an entry in the Lafond Guest Book and to visit the Lafond Gift Shop.
SATURDAY. An emotional morning when you have to pack and say goodbye to the community. Your impatience to get back up will be met with an equal desire to stay longer. Some will finish writing their entry in the Lafond Guestbook. After the ride back to Petit-Goave, it will be time to head to the turquoise waters & white sand of Cocoyer beach. You will take a boat ride organized by our partner Hotel Fort Royal. You will spend the night at Mrs. MEANCE Bel-Accueil Bed & Breakfast.
SUNDAY. Early morning trip to the airport with a stop at a crafts shop to allow you to purchase souvenirs especially the Haitian paintings and ironwork. Haitian art is very unique.
There is something special about this mountain recently covered with casuarina pine tree, bamboo and flowers such as red ginger, birds or paradise, torch ginger. The place is very calm and naturally invites you to communicate with your Higher Being, The fresh breeze coming from the Caribbean Sea, the sound of birds that have come back to perch on the trees, the trail leading to a shrine and the shrine itself everything seems to conspire to make you have a unique spiritual experience. When you are in Lafond, for whatever reason, take some time for yourself and walk under the trees, take the different paths, let your body receive a ray coming from the sun that made its way to you across the tree branches. The silence punctuated by the sounds of birds, the sound of the wind blowing through the casuarina pines, the fresh breeze may in fact transport you straight to heaven.
We would like to thank the following contributors: Janet Clodfelter, Robin Smith, Dr. Laurentis Barnett, Jayme Syncyr, Reach Out Lafond, World Connect-US , CAPANAMUR-Germany, Eddy Clesca,Joseph Yachnik, Genevieve Yachnik, Myrlene Marie Dupont, Fatu Sesay, Miraculeuse Savaille, Michael & Stacy Stokes, the Champion Team from WFG and countless others who have contribute to our vision.
Fun Facts about Lafond
Testimonies from visitors: From our Guest Book
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