Look at Cykamy’s bright, happy face. She comes to school each day eager to learn because she is part of a community that believes in her—a community that includes you.
We see the immense potential of our youth, and your generosity and solidarity is the reason that potential has a place to grow.
While our hearts are heavy for our friends and family in Port-au-Prince—and the weight of the crisis on the mainland is something we feel every day—we refuse to let it paralyze the progress we are making together.
Because you have chosen to stand with Matènwa, we can afford to play the "long game." Your solidarity provides the stability we need to keep looking forward, even when the horizon feels uncertain.
This month, we are celebrating the fruits of that shared vision: four fully funded women’s scholarships (with only three more to go!), a vital new project to bring garden terracing to 30 communities, and a world-class leader joining our board.
You aren't just a donor; you are a partner. You are proving that when we invest deeply in children, their families, and the land beneath their feet, we don't just survive—we write a new story for Haiti.
Thank you for being the heart of this work. Here is your Good News update.
With hope and love,
Chris Low
Co-Founder and Executive Director | Friends of Matènwa
Don’t let costs like housing, meals, books, and transportation force them to leave school.
7 Matènwa Women Earned Full-Tuition Scholarships—3 Still Need Help
I’m incredibly proud to share that four of our seven women scholars are now fully funded, and a fifth is halfway there! Each of these young women has done the hard work, earning full-tuition scholarships through their academic dedication.
However, a tuition waiver doesn't cover the cost of a safe place to sleep, a daily meal, books, or the transportation needed to get to class. For a student in Haiti right now, these "basic" costs are often the final barriers that force them to drop out.
We're doing everything we can to fully fund the remaining three women by March 31. Will you help make sure these future leaders can stay in school to earn their degrees?
From Dirt to Dinner: The Eurofins Terracing Project
There are currently pirates in the waters between Lagonav and mainland Haiti. But even if the mainland wasn’t cut off, leaders in Matènwa believe that Gonaviens must be able to feed themselves.
I’m happy to share that we just received a major boost from the Eurofins Foundation to scale up our garden terracing work. We’re training 30 communities to turn barren hillsides into terraces that hold water, stop erosion, and “grow” soil. The result? Productive new gardens where there used to be waste.
We’ve put together a video and a photo gallery so you can see exactly how we’re turning "wasteland" into "food-land".
Educators from Catholic Relief Services visiting Matènwa this month.
The Mother Tongue Revolution is Spreading
Educators across Haiti continue to look to Matènwa for leadership. This month, a group of educators from Catholic Relief Services (CRS) traveled from Cap-Haïtien and Fort-Liberté—clear across the country—to learn our Mother Tongue Books method.
They’ve seen the data: MCLC’s kids learn to read and write faster and possess better reading comprehension because they start in the language they actually speak. MCLC is proud to be a training hub for a less violent future across Haiti.
These three leaders—Theophane Pierre-Louis, Bernard Josuè, and Guinson Petit-Frere—are now heading back to the North with a clear mission: to train teachers in 82 public schools. Beyond literacy, they were deeply interested in how we manage to achieve classrooms that are so socially and emotionally healthy.
This is exactly why the Institute for Learning exists. We are a national training hub where the "Matènwa Way" is shared, refined, and then exported to transform schools nationwide.
Matènwa students, parents, and teachers debate at an Open Space event.
Why MCLC Students & Parents Say Lagonav Isn't Poor
I’m sure you’ve heard the label: “Haiti, the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere.” But at Matènwa, we’re interested in a different narrative—one that we write ourselves.
This month, MCLC held an Espas Ouvè (Open Space) at the school to answer a single question: Is Lagonav poor?
To some, it might seem strange to spend a whole day talking about this when things are so difficult, but defining our own worth is the first step toward independence. Click the button below to read what they had to say.
Advocates from Springfield, OH and across the country at the Supreme Court.
Solidarity with the Diaspora
As we worry for those in Port-au-Prince, we also stand with the 350,000 Haitians in the U.S. currently facing uncertainty regarding their Temporary Protected Status (TPS).
Our friends at the Haitian Support Center in Springfield, OH joined others from across the U.S. at the Supreme Court last week to urge the protection of human life and the saving of TPS.
There is also a push in Congress (Discharge Petition 15) to protect these families. Our partners at the Institute for Justice and Democracy in Haiti created a step-by-step guide on how you can help.
Louis-Henri Mars
Welcoming Louis-Henri Mars to the Board
I’m thrilled to welcome Louis-Henri Mars to the Friends of Matènwa Board of Directors. A veteran peace-building leader, Louis-Henri knows that lasting peace starts with education and giving a community the tools to determine its own future. We’re honored to have him.
Thank You for Your Generosity and Solidarity
I’ve spent more than 40 years as an educator, and I can tell you this: hope isn't just a feeling; it’s something you build with your hands and heart every day.
Thank you for being the poto mitan—the center post—that holds this house up while we build a future for our kids. We have a big deadline on March 31 to get those final three scholarships across the finish line, and I know we can get there because of people like you.
We feel your support in every classroom and every garden row. Thank you for standing with Matènwa.
