Any teacher will tell you - the task of forming young minds and hearts is not an easy one. It involves long days of being attentive, engaged, and enthusiastic, only to come home to long nights of grading and planning. It means giving everything you have to instill a love of the truth in one’s students, and encouraging them to seek it out on their own. There are students who seem to soak up knowledge like a sponge; and then there are those, who seem at times, impossible to teach. Even in the developed world, where most teachers have the latest educational technology at their fingertips, teacher burnout is a common phenomenon.
Laurette Menor, a young teacher at the St. Jean Bosco School in Bois de Laurence, Haiti, has far more responsibilities on a daily basis than your average teacher. When we asked how she faces the challenges that come with teaching children all day, caring for her deceased sister’s children, three younger siblings, and ailing father outside of school, all while trying to make ends meet on a salary equivalent to $100 a month, she simply responds, “It’s just life.”
In fact, far from being burnt out, Laurette is invigorated by her work as a teacher. She uses music and storytelling to help her students engage in the learning process. She is passionate about giving her fellow villagers the opportunity to contribute to their happiness through education. She shared this beautiful thought with us: “You want to be happy; you need to feel good from within. To make this possible, you should have a sound mind and a balanced life. Education will help one to become independent and self-reliant in society. Being educated, no matter what kind of job you have, eliminates insecurity; you are in possession of an organized understanding of the world. Education may not be the key to happiness, but it definitely is the key to many things that come together to make you happy.”
While most of us aren’t able to contribute to the education of our Haitian brothers and sisters in the way Laurette does, there is something we can do. With a small donation of $10 a month, you can sponsor a child’s education at St. Jean Bosco for an entire school year. Every child that is sponsored, helps keep Laurette and her fellow teachers’ salaries at a livable wage. This Thanksgiving season, please consider joining us on our journey to fund the education of 28 students, by sponsoring a child this #GivingTuesday.
Even if you are unable to support St. Jean Bosco financially, we humbly ask for your prayers - especially for our dedicated teachers like Laurette, who depend on the grace of God to face the difficulties of everyday life in Bois de Laurence.
Will you provide the gift of education in Haiti this holiday season and become a school sponsor for $10 a month?
