Continuing the work of the Children’s Art for Art Haiti Project
Last Updated on Tuesday, 6 March 2012 10:54 Written by Chiara Bombieri-Morales Thursday, 1 March 2012 05:53
During my last trip to Haiti, Urban Zen partnered with Sow a Seed, a non-profit organization based in Haiti dedicated to bringing hope and creating sustainable change in the lives of orphans in Haiti. On December 10, 2010 Sow a Seed hosted their annual holiday event, Santa’s Wonderland at the Union School in Port-au-Prince. The day was filled with activities, meals, entertainment and gifts. There were 500 orphans that attended the event from ten different orphanages around Port-au-Prince.
The Urban Zen team and I joined in the festivities working closely with the children from the Timkatec Orphanage and Children’s Home. At this event the Urban Zen team had a group of tables that were set up with all types of arts and crafts projects that the kids could make. Here, the children from Timkatec received the gifts and cards from the Rudolf Steiner School children and in exchange the children from Timkatec painted cha-chas (Haitian maracas) for the children at the Rudolf Steiner School.
Upon my return to New York City, I delivered the hand painted cha-chas to the children at the Rudolf Steiner School which were then distributed by the school’s hand-work teacher, Mary Lynn Lorinz. The exchange was captivating for both the children in New York and in Haiti. The children in Haiti, who have close to nothing, were able to give something very special to the children in the Rudolf Steiner School. Making the experience even more enriching is that the children at the Rudolf Steiner School had the opportunity to learn about a new culture and the importance of caring for others.
We are continuing our work with Sow A Seed to further the project by providing both children at the Steiner School and the children at Timkatec with new projects they can work together on. We are also looking forward to expanding the program and including more schools in NYC and around the US with other orphanages in Haiti.
Learn MoreThe Children for Children Haiti Project: Holiday Greetings
Last Updated on Monday, 12 December 2011 07:14 Written by Urban Zen Monday, 12 December 2011 05:05
“When something is made by hand, you feel the soul that went into it.” – Donna Karan
We couldn’t agree with these words from our founder more, and these hand-drawn holiday cards portray this sentiment beautifully. As a part of our Children for Children Haiti Project kids from the Rudolf Steiner School in NYC created these imaginative holiday greetings for children in Haiti and this weekend the Urban Zen team had the pleasure of hand-delivering the thoughtful cards to Haitian orphans.
We were inspired and moved by the artwork and we thought you would be too.
Here, a selection of the children’s holiday cards:
The Children for Children Haiti Project
Last Updated on Friday, 2 December 2011 03:01 Written by Urban Zen Friday, 2 December 2011 02:57
Often, our Founder Donna Karan, will speak about her vision for education; about her belief that true learning must expand beyond just reading, writing and arithmatic to include the mind, body and spirit. Children need tactile, experiential learning; they need to learn from their relationships and from diverse cultures and people groups.
It is with these thoughts in mind that we share with you our Children for Children Haiti Project. This project has been designed to connect children through creativity, generosity and a healthy curiosity for new, unexplored cultures.
Here, Urban Zen Team Member Chiara Bombieri-Morales shares her vision:
Allison Rapson: Can you tell us about the project?
Chiara Bombieri-Morales: I am currently working on a project called the Children for Children Haiti Project. The project involves children (grades 3-8) at the Rudolf Steiner School in NYC to create hand-crafted children’s toys that will be donated to orphans in Haiti for Christmas. With the support of the school’s handwork teacher, Mary Lynn Lorinz, children have been making hacky sacks, hand-knit woolen balls, and felted frisbees amongst other things.
