Haiti & Democracy: A Conversation with Author Laurent Dubois
On Tuesday, September 14, 2021, as part of our 2021-2022 speaker series, Understanding Haiti, author Laurent Dubois, discussed the long-term history of the country in a lecture entitled “Haiti & Democracy”, focusing on the complex political and cultural dynamics that have shaped the present at the First Congregational Church of Old Lyme. If you missed the lecture, […]
Tennis Update: November 2020
Tournament held in Petionville Now that the COVID-19 pandemic has abated in Haiti, where it never really became the scourge that it is in most countries in the world, the schools, churches, large outdoor meetings are now allowed. The coaches, Walter Vertidort and Jude Luma, organized an in-house tournament for the younger players, mostly short […]
Library Update: November 2022. Library Offers Training to Two Local Libraries
When we first started researching and designing what is now the Bibliothèque Communautire Deschapelles, we hoped it could be a model for other libraries in rural areas. We worked hard to create a library with the amenities and resources familiar to us in the United States but also with the understanding that this would be […]
Besly Belizaire: Rising Up to be a Leader in His Community: 2020
Back in March of 2020, when the world first learned about Covid-19, one of the things we heard over and over again was “wash your hands.” For those of us in the States, that is a fairly simple task; we have running water at our sinks, and we can purchase soap with a simple trip […]
Library Update: September 2020
In the last few months, the library has witnessed the installation of flushable toilets, a solar electrical system including a solar pump and is reviewing other maintenance needs. The solar system was installed with appreciation to local organizations and individuals including the Essex Rotary Club. A local rising high school senior raised funds for the […]