Donate to Espwa Orphanage
Donation protected
Espwa Arts Project (EAP) is a collaboartive fundraising project put together by Xan Morris, Christina James and Justin Macri. The purpose of this project is to raise funds to provide art supplies, musical instruments as well as implement an enrichment program run by Xan and Christina for the Espwa Orphanage in Les Cayes, Haiti.
Pwoje Espwa Sud, or Project Hope, currently houses 450 children, infancy to eighteen-years-old. Furthermore, 1,500 non-resident students attend school at the pre-k through high school campus located on the orphanage grounds. The Haitian government does not have the resources to fund this organization or school, and consequently, Project Hope relies on grants and individual donations to provide lodging, food and education for these children.
We need to raise $3,000 to implement the Espwa Arts Project (EAP) and provide adequate art supplies and musical instruments to the entire orphanage and school.
EAP Values:
EAP uses the arts, music and movement to assist children in their creative expression, somatic awareness and emotional self-regulation.
EAP's priority is to create a safe place that allows children to feel secure in a stimulating learning environment.
EAP understands every child is unique and so our program and curriculum is planned to enhance the distinct individual needs, interests and abilities of the children we work with.
EAP strives to model the values of self-awareness, emphathy and communication, while incoporating fun and creativity in our day-to-to lives.
EAP will create a framework for future volunteers.
With intentional and meaningful interaction we encourage children's self guided exploration, positive social-emotional development, creative expression, interest in the natural world, as well as fostering positive self images and self-sufficiency.
About the Program:
We will arrive in Les Cayes, Haiti August 20th and leave the 27th. We will be hand delivering thousands of dollars worth of quality art supplies and musical intruments to the Espwa Orphanage. We will spend the week doing formal arts, dance and music classes with the children, introducing them to the new instruments and art modalities. Furthermore, our over-arching intent is to use the healing arts as a means for fostering:
•self awareness
•creative expression
•skill building
•social enrichment
•self empowerment
•somatic awareness
•self regulation
•and enhancing sensory contact and fine motor skills
We are creating a framework for future volunteers, so EAP can be sustained for years beyond the initial implementation of the arts, music and movement program.
Biographies
Christina James is a family child care provider and dance instructor. She has over 10 years of experience working with children and their families. She has shown a great aptitude for excellence in childcare and education. Christina's compassionate and understanding nature towards children helps her create an atmosphere where children can feel safe and encouraged to learn about themselves and the world around them. She is dedicated to incorporating her extensive background in education and children to create a meaningful experience for children. She has worked in a number of child care settings, ranging from work at a Montessori classroom in South Africa to summer camps, child care centers and most recently owned and operated a family child care for the last 3 years. She holds a Bachelors in Child and Adoloscent Development with an emphasis on Young Child & Family, from San Francisco State University, an Associates in Behavorical Sciences and Liberal Studies from College of Marin, as well as a Certificate in Baking & Pastry from Santa Rosa Junior College.
Xan Morris is a therapist, teacher and artist.
She's dedicated her life to exploring how the arts can be used therapeutically in individual and group settings. She is currently getting her Masters in Counseling Psychology with an Emphasis in Expressive Arts Therapy at the California Institute of Integral Studies. She is on the journey to becoming a Marriage Family Therapist and a registered art therapist. Currently, she's a therapy trainee at Marin Head Start and is integrating expressive arts into the pre-existing curriculum. She has lead expressive art groups with epilepsy patients, traumatic brain injury survivors and children. She's worked in the United States, Central America, the Pacific Islands and the Caribbean.
Furthermore, Xan has a private practice called Healing Light Therapy, in which she utilizes life coaching, meridian tapping, energy work and clinical hypnotherapy with her clients.
Justin Macri currently does web development for the music company Bananas at Large located in Marin County. His areas of expertise include designing, coding and data management. Outside of his primary career, Justin has a strong passion for music, and has been a professional bass player in the reggae band Mi Gaan for nearly a decade. Justin has also worked as a co-director and music producer at Two Willow Studios. Justin supports local music and community events. He is one of the founders of the Good Festival- a free arts, music and educational community event held in the North Bay annually. Justin believes music is a universal language that can help bring people together. He feels the youth must have access to the arts and support in exploring them at a young age for optimal emotional and social development.
Pwoje Espwa Sud, or Project Hope, currently houses 450 children, infancy to eighteen-years-old. Furthermore, 1,500 non-resident students attend school at the pre-k through high school campus located on the orphanage grounds. The Haitian government does not have the resources to fund this organization or school, and consequently, Project Hope relies on grants and individual donations to provide lodging, food and education for these children.
We need to raise $3,000 to implement the Espwa Arts Project (EAP) and provide adequate art supplies and musical instruments to the entire orphanage and school.
EAP Values:
EAP uses the arts, music and movement to assist children in their creative expression, somatic awareness and emotional self-regulation.
EAP's priority is to create a safe place that allows children to feel secure in a stimulating learning environment.
EAP understands every child is unique and so our program and curriculum is planned to enhance the distinct individual needs, interests and abilities of the children we work with.
EAP strives to model the values of self-awareness, emphathy and communication, while incoporating fun and creativity in our day-to-to lives.
EAP will create a framework for future volunteers.
With intentional and meaningful interaction we encourage children's self guided exploration, positive social-emotional development, creative expression, interest in the natural world, as well as fostering positive self images and self-sufficiency.
About the Program:
We will arrive in Les Cayes, Haiti August 20th and leave the 27th. We will be hand delivering thousands of dollars worth of quality art supplies and musical intruments to the Espwa Orphanage. We will spend the week doing formal arts, dance and music classes with the children, introducing them to the new instruments and art modalities. Furthermore, our over-arching intent is to use the healing arts as a means for fostering:
•self awareness
•creative expression
•skill building
•social enrichment
•self empowerment
•somatic awareness
•self regulation
•and enhancing sensory contact and fine motor skills
We are creating a framework for future volunteers, so EAP can be sustained for years beyond the initial implementation of the arts, music and movement program.
Biographies
Christina James is a family child care provider and dance instructor. She has over 10 years of experience working with children and their families. She has shown a great aptitude for excellence in childcare and education. Christina's compassionate and understanding nature towards children helps her create an atmosphere where children can feel safe and encouraged to learn about themselves and the world around them. She is dedicated to incorporating her extensive background in education and children to create a meaningful experience for children. She has worked in a number of child care settings, ranging from work at a Montessori classroom in South Africa to summer camps, child care centers and most recently owned and operated a family child care for the last 3 years. She holds a Bachelors in Child and Adoloscent Development with an emphasis on Young Child & Family, from San Francisco State University, an Associates in Behavorical Sciences and Liberal Studies from College of Marin, as well as a Certificate in Baking & Pastry from Santa Rosa Junior College.
Xan Morris is a therapist, teacher and artist.
She's dedicated her life to exploring how the arts can be used therapeutically in individual and group settings. She is currently getting her Masters in Counseling Psychology with an Emphasis in Expressive Arts Therapy at the California Institute of Integral Studies. She is on the journey to becoming a Marriage Family Therapist and a registered art therapist. Currently, she's a therapy trainee at Marin Head Start and is integrating expressive arts into the pre-existing curriculum. She has lead expressive art groups with epilepsy patients, traumatic brain injury survivors and children. She's worked in the United States, Central America, the Pacific Islands and the Caribbean.
Furthermore, Xan has a private practice called Healing Light Therapy, in which she utilizes life coaching, meridian tapping, energy work and clinical hypnotherapy with her clients.
Justin Macri currently does web development for the music company Bananas at Large located in Marin County. His areas of expertise include designing, coding and data management. Outside of his primary career, Justin has a strong passion for music, and has been a professional bass player in the reggae band Mi Gaan for nearly a decade. Justin has also worked as a co-director and music producer at Two Willow Studios. Justin supports local music and community events. He is one of the founders of the Good Festival- a free arts, music and educational community event held in the North Bay annually. Justin believes music is a universal language that can help bring people together. He feels the youth must have access to the arts and support in exploring them at a young age for optimal emotional and social development.
Organizer
Xan Morris
Organizer
Forest Knolls, CA
Begin your fundraising journey
