Matènwa Community School

Children and teachers engage in hands-on education, critical thinking, and mutual respect.

Institute for Learning

Teacher training for schools seeking to find a more effective way to teach.

Mother Tongue Books

Empowering children to become literate by reading and writing in their native language.

Women’s Leadership Fund

Seven Matènwa graduates are now continuing their university education—fully supported for the year—thanks to this community.

Creole Gardens

Students cultivate organic produce, practice environmental stewardship.

Summer Camp

Inspiring meaningful exchanges that strengthen community ties and inspire collaborative learning.

Art Matènwa

Nurturing creative expression by supporting women artisans.

Community Outreach

Help students and families care for elders and build lasting food security.

College Scholarships

Matènwa grads who've earned full-tuition scholarships need your help to cover costs like housing, meals, books, and more.

Support Matènwa programs

7 Years later Matènwa Celebrates and Remembers

Jan 12, 2017

Our preschool through first graders hadn't been born yet on Jan 12, 2010. At our all school meeting today, we realized that half the students had no recollection of how the earth shook in Matènwa that day nor how frightened the teachers and students were as aftershocks continued to unnerve them for days.

As I talk with international volunteers who are building plywood houses in the south in response to Hurricane Matthew, I wonder, has the international community learned anything from past housing failures?

Matènwa would like to encourage that people use plastic bottles. We just finished permanent housing for 4 families in Matènwa. We used new low cost technology that reduces plastic waste litter and strengthens walls against natural disasters. Price tag $2500US.

More Stories

2026 Annual Newsletter

A Matènwa grad named Teacher of the Year, 341 hot breakfasts every school morning, and 16 graduates in university: take a bird’s-eye tour of our […]...

October 2026 Good News Update

Four more Matènwa graduates have begun university. They join a growing group of our young people pursuing degrees with a shared hope: to return to […]...

Education That Belongs to Everyone (1:14)

MCLC is built by the community and sustained by you. Your solidarity helps Matènwa’s vision take root and grow....