Kahdeidra's Haitian Literacy Trip

Greetings!

God bless you, and thank you for reading my story. 

My name is Kahdeidra Monet Martin-Thelusca. I am a daughter, sister, wife, mother, auntie, friend, educator, author, and publisher. I am a child of God who honors the power of Spirit to direct my every move, and the Spirit has moved me to take action and help the displaced and vulnerable children who find themselves on the wrong side of politics, straddling the border of Haiti and the Dominican Republic.

For me, writing is both my joy and my catharsis, and I aim to provide these children with an outlet, with opportunities for creative visual and written expression to have THEIR voices heard...What happened?  How do they feel? What are their dreams and aspirations for the future?

WHAT: A literacy campaign providing school supplies, art and writing workshops for Dominican-Haitian youth. The culminating project will be a print magazine featuring the children's work.

WHEN:   Part I.    August 6-August 18, 2015
                     Part II.  December -February 2016

WHERE:  Port-au-Prince, Haiti and other locales near the border of Dajabón, Dominican Republic

WHO:  With the support of friends and family in Haiti, I will conduct the workshops in partnership with churches and community centers who are already serving displaced families. However, this is NOT a mission trip, and no proselytizing will be conducted. I support pluralistic, democratic ideals, and I welcome support from people of all faith and cultural backgrounds. 

QUALIFICATIONS: I have a number of personal, academic and professional qualifications to pursue this project. 

1. B.A. in African & African American Studies with a Minor in Linguistics from Stanford University. I studied sociolinguistics, creoles and vernaculars, African-American literature, multicultural literature, Afro-Caribbean religious traditions, KiSwahili, and more.

2. M.S.Ed in Teaching Urban Adolescents with Disabilities from Long Island University. I am proficient in designing lesson plans and assessments that support the individual needs of learners. For two years, as a NYC Teaching Fellow, I have taught English Language Arts to 7th and 8th grade students at a culturally and linguistically diverse school in Flatbush, Brooklyn. Prior to teaching full time, I worked for more than 10 years as a tutor, student advocate, Assistant Beacon Director, After School Site Coordinator, Secondary School Placement Coordinator and Dean of Students for non-profits and private schools throughout NYC. 

3. M.F.A. in Creative Writing from City College, City University of New York (expected 2018).  I was accepted into the program for a specialization in poetry and children's literature. 

4. I am the Founder and Publisher of Dimonet Connect Publishing , which creates literacy products for a multicultural, multilingual audience.  Last year, I published two bilingual early literacy readers written in English and Haitian Creole. 

4. I have conversational fluency in both Haitian Creole and Spanish. I taught emergent bilingual students who were Haitian Creole speakers in the afterschool program at my school, and I frequently translate information for families in Haitian Creole. As a Site Coordinator of an afterschool program in Bushwick, Brooklyn, I performed the same function for monolingual Spanish speaking families. 

HOW YOU CAN HELP:  With the support of your donations, I can cover expenses for the following items:

~1 round trip ticket to Haiti for two weeks in August 2015 (est. $700-800). My food and lodging will be provided.

~1 discounted IPAD mini and 1 audio tape recorder to record interviews with displaced children (est. $300).

~2 weeks worth of gas for car transportation (est. $200).

~100 discounted bilingual children's readers in English and Haitian Creole that will be gifted to dislocated families and safe havens (with 20% bulk discount, $640).  Learn more about the books here . 

~100 vinyl bookbags filled with writing and art supplies: 2 notebooks, white paper, pencils, pens, colored pencils, crayons, 1 pencil sharpener (est. $1,000).

~(Completed in Winter 2015-2016) Editing and production of website and magazine featuring youth art and writing (est. $1, 000).  

~(Completed in Winter 2015-2016) Printing costs of magazine copies for distribution to families and for fundraising for the youth (est. $500).   

~(February 2016) 1 roundtrip ticket to Haiti to deliver magazines (est. $500-600).

Total Estimated Expenses for the project: $5, 540

My goal is to raise $5,000, and I personally will cover any expenses that remain unmet. I thank you for your time and for your generosity. Working together,  we can make an enormous impact. 

Peace and blessings,

:) Kahdeidra

Middle School English Teacher
Author
Publisher, Dimonet Connect Publishing