Children and teachers engage in hands-on education, critical thinking, and mutual respect.
Teacher training for schools seeking to find a more effective way to teach.
Empowering children to become literate by reading and writing in their native language.
Your support covers housing, meals, transportation, books, and basic supplies for Matènwa students at university
Students cultivate organic produce, practice environmental stewardship.
Inspiring meaningful exchanges that strengthen community ties and inspire collaborative learning.
Nurturing creative expression by supporting women artisans.
Help students and families care for elders and build lasting food security.
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 this que…
People often ask me if what we’re doing in Matènwa can actually scale. They wonder if a local school can really change the way an entire nation thinks about education. The truth is, we’ve been answering that question for years. Since we founded the Matènwa Institute...
We are thrilled to announce that the Eurofins Foundation has awarded the Matènwa Community Learning Center (MCLC) a significant grant to scale up our terracing work. This isn’t just about farming; it’s about food sovereignty.
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 with students gathering under the shade trees to celebrate International...
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 to drink, cook, wash, and care for their homes. But getting that water is not simple. People...
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 is about responsibility. And it is about preparing young people to serve their...
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 island. In 2020, after years of training teachers in nonviolent, child-centered, Haitian...
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, the dignity of communities that had been told, again and again, that their lives mattered less....
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 is really about. Chris returned to Matènwa after a long absence. I traveled with her and Vince...
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 your generosity makes. View the 2025 Annual Newsletter
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 science project? The mix of excitement and patience as you waited for that first green sprout? At...
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. The photo above captures one of those joyful moments — a...