Folks,
I am sitting here at the computer barely able to find the words to tell you this story. Bear with me if I get sappy or syrupy. I’m sure I will.
In spite of the upheaval and craziness of 2023 and 2024, CODEP recently spent a day graduating the second class from its Haiti Reforestation Mentorship Program. It was a day that restores and nurtures the soul.
The graduates showed up for the ceremony eager, excited, and a bit jumpy from all the attention. Their families came dressed to the nines and bursting with pride. In so many ways, our simple graduation represents life changing possibilities for the young people and their entire circle.
For the young people, we know by way of last year’s class that the mentoring program is a springboard. For some graduates it leads to more education. For others it leads to work opportunity. One charter class graduate was so entrepreneurial about recruiting a new neighborhood into CODEP that he was brought into the leadership team as the youngest Animator.
For the families, seeing their young people skilled in reforestation and eager to take their knowledge to another level is complete payback. The early years of CODEP were a difficult time when people poured themselves into reforestation even while struggling with great poverty and even hunger. They simply hoped against hope that life would be better for their children and grandchildren. Our day of graduation was literally a dream come true.
What a day!
Michael Anello
Executive Director
