What Belonging Looks Like in Matènwa
During my time in Matènwa, I saw exceptional teaching and creative classrooms. But what stayed with me most is the way no one is treated as an “other,” and the way belonging is woven into the very fabric of how the community works.
Why MCLC Students & Teachers 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 […]…
The Mother Tongue Revolution is Spreading
People often ask me if what we’re doing on this small mountain on Lagonav can actually scale. They wonder if […]…
From Dirt to Dinner: The Eurofins Terracing Project
We are thrilled to announce that the Eurofins Foundation has awarded the Matènwa Community Learning Center (MCLC) a significant grant […]…
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April 2016 Update
Dear friends of Matènwa, MCLC is continually seeking new ways to improve its programs and make learning more fun and collaborative. In this spirit, we are using paired reading to help increase fluency among students and promote peer collaboration. Students of…
March 2016 Update
Dear friends of Matènwa, Students are always excited to work in the garden and go to the library. Here are the third graders (pictured left) creating a new vegetable garden. Together with the garden technician, they discuss the shape and dimensions of the garden….
Update from Meg – March 2016
Maureen Plaisimond, MCLC’s newest long-term volunteer, arrived in February and has quickly taken charge of our computer lab and elementary computer classes. As well as being open for regular classes, the lab is now open during recess every day for elementary students…
Update from Meg
Last week we had three days off school for Kanaval (Carnaval). During the break, Cenel Louis, Chris Low, and I attended a workshop for English teachers in Ansagalè. Cenel is the English teacher for LKM’s secondary school, and I often work alongside him in the…
Update from Meg
This week, tenth-graders in Matènwa have started to learn a new subject! In our secondary-school teacher meeting last Saturday, we discussed a scheduling problem that had led to our tenth-grade class having a two-hour block on Fridays with no teacher. Some of the…
Profile from Meg – Roberne
I’m continuing to profile an LKM staff member, so you can get to know us better. This week’s staff member is Roberne Magloire, a member of LKM’s Direction Committee. Roberne was born in Matènwa and has lived here his whole life. He finished eleventh grade (in the…
February 2016 Update
February 2016 Dear friend of Matènwa, We are always pleased to update you on some of our program activities. Our weekly school assembly continues to be a big hit among students and staff. The performances are great and often carry important messages that students want…
A Visitor’s Reflection
This email just in from Chandi, a professor at University of Puerto Rico returning from Haiti. She teaches about creole languages and speaks Haitian Creole. She brought 3 students and a colleague from PaP with her to visit Matènwa last week as part of their visit in…
Update from Meg January 15, 2016
This has been a busy week in Matènwa. On Monday, LKM hosted a group of four visitors from the University of Puerto Rico: a linguistics professor who specializes in creoles, a Haitian graduate student in linguistics, and two undergraduates who are also studying…
Update from Meg – January, 2016
This afternoon, in our weekly teacher-training meeting, I showed some of the primary teachers how to play some of the games we have on our game shelf. A few of the games have instructions only in English, so many of the teachers didn’t know yet how to play them. We…
January 2016 Update
Dear friends of Matènwa, Happy 2016! May this new year bring you success, health, and prosperity. Because of your support, we had a great 2015. Our students and teachers had all the didactic materials they needed to work. Students had a nutritious breakfast every…
Update from Meg – Library News
This week in Matènwa, we have some news from the school library. Over the last few weeks, we’ve been working on many improvements, both small and large. A translation of the Dewey Decimal System into Kreyòl, for easy access. We are making great progress on…
How Matènwa celebrated International Women’s Day
March 12, 2026
Students gathered under the shade trees at MCLC to celebrate International Women’s Day and honor the women who keep the school running. Monday morning in Matènwa, the school courtyard filled […]
Working Toward Clean Water for Four Communities
February 18, 2026
In the mountains above the Matènwa community on Lagonav Island, a place called Little Spring is a lifeline. Every day, families depend on this spring for the water they need […]
From Matènwa to the Frontlines of Care
February 17, 2026
By Williamson Jacques | Matènwa Community Learning Center At the Matènwa Community Learning Center, we often say that education is not only about the classroom. It is about dignity. It […]
How the "Matènwa Way" Travels
January 31, 2026
This is my third week on Lagonav Island, and yesterday I got to see—up close—the Hub School initiative, a next step in spreading the Matènwa approach to teaching across this […]
What comes next . . .
January 19, 2026
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was clear about what justice meant. It wasn’t a theory or a slogan. It was about dignity—the dignity of poor people, the dignity of children, […]
A Surprise Welcome Home
January 15, 2026
A reminder of what life is really about. Welcome home, Chris! Yesterday, I witnessed something that touched me deeply — a moment that felt like a reminder of what life […]
2025 Annual Newsletter
December 8, 2025
Step inside MCLC and meet the students and teachers whose stories of perseverance will stay with you. You’ll see what hope looks like, how it grows, and the difference that […]
November 2025 Newsletter
November 22, 2025
Francia’s first graders learning to plant seeds in the school garden. Do you remember the first time you planted a seed — maybe in your family’s garden or a school […]
October 2025 Newsletter
October 12, 2025
Classrooms where children grow curious instead of fearful and confident instead of silent. Classrooms that embrace dignity, equality, and a lot of creative play — because joy is part of justice too. […]
Newsletter 2024
November 30, 2024
School Opens ENTHUSIASTICALLY!
December 7, 2023
I’m so happy to share this video. It was a joyful first day of school at the Matènwa Community Learning Center. They successfully opened their doors on-time despite the growing […]
Newsletter 2023
November 30, 2023