Recreational/Athletic Facility 

 

The Oasis For Haiti's Children is the first Recreational/Athletic Facility in Grand Boucan/Trianon , two small villages with a combined population of six thousand people.  This is an agricultural community located about a  two hour drive North of Port-au-Prince, Haiti. The local economy consists of the production of mostly rice, corn and sugar cane.

 

The Camp itself, an ongoing work in progress, is located on five acres of land nestled into a lush mountainous area.  The residents live nearby in simple but primitive homes.  The camp's main building is a two story structure, the only one in the vicinity with eight rooms and four bathrooms. The top floor has four rooms for the volunteers to house in.  The bottom floor has an office and three other rooms intended for various functions, such as  Arts and Crafts, a game room, a small library for the children. Nearby is a large picnic area for meals and outdoor activities. The vast land is utilized for a soccer field, volleyball and basketball court.  

 

This past summer, 60 children were introduced to various sports, including soccer, volleyball, relay races, jump rope etc.  There were lots of laughs, fun and wonderful time enjoyed by all.

 

Summer 2015

 

The construction of the main building is finally completed, a dream comes true!  The villagers were anxiously awaiting for our arrival.  The residential area on the upper floor is now furnished and ready to receive incoming volunteers.  We had one hundred youngsters enrolled at the camp.  We provided a variety of activities including: soccer, relay races, tug of war, Arts and Craft etc.  The older girls created colorful jewelry for themselves. Many were very proficient.  We believe these skills could lead to providing a source of income for them.  The younger children were introduced to the game of Bingo and they loved it! They also  put puzzles together and played dominoes.  Our slip and slide activity was a fun way to cool off after a competitive soccer game from the hot summer heat.  We were also happy to provide a free lunch to the children this summer.  It was an enjoyable experience indeed for all of us! 

 

Summer 2015 – Reflections from our new volunteer Olivia

 

I recently had the incredible opportunity to travel to Haiti and be a part of a nonprofit organization called Oasis for Haiti’s Children in Mirebalais, Haiti. Upon arrival, it seemed as though the children were demonstrating a little hesitancy towards us but as soon as we reached out to them and introduced ourselves the children were overjoyed and very welcoming! Here we were able to play games with the kids such as tug of war, volleyball, soccer, relay races, arts and crafts, and many more activities. The children were full of energy and excitement for each activity and game that we taught them; from the boys battling over tug of war to the girls cheering them on, the entire campsite was full of laughter and chants. If I had to choose my favorite part of the trip (which is not easy), I must say participating in the arts and crafts department. Not only was I able to bond with the children as we painted and made necklaces and bracelets but I was also able to gather a better understanding for each individual child. By each child's painting, I was able to see what they enjoy and admire, whether it be flowers, a soccer ball, cars, or a simple drawing of a family. The children and families of this town have little to nothing to their name, but if one were to just look at their beautiful wide smiles and the hope in their eyes, one would think they were the wealthiest ones in the country. 

This trip definitely made me take a step back and reflect on my life and how much I take for granted by simply living in America where clean water is free and food is accessible on every street. Despite the poverty that I encountered there, it is without doubt that I left a part of my heart in Haiti and can not wait until I am able to be down there again!!

 

Summer 2016

 

The Sports and Education Center has never looked more beautiful, freshly painted with a new fence around the property for security.  It is also newly equipped with solar panels which lowers the cost of gas used for the generator as the village lacks electricity.

 

It is so wonderful to see the growth in the children both physically and emotionally since the opening of Oasis For Haiti's Children in 2014. 

The kids exhibited their skills in a myriad of activities taught by the volunteers.  They also caught on very quickly to the game of volleyball this summer. For the first time this year, the kids were provided a nutritious daily hot meal donated by Feeding My Starving Children, Inc.  We could not be more grateful!  It's been a truly rewarding experience to be part of Oasis For Haiti's Children Organization. 

 

New Updates:

 

Hurricane Matthew made landfall in Haiti on October 4, 2016.  We received many generous donations from  the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Miami, the Gray Panthers as well as families and friends.  With the assistance of Feeding My Starving Children and Feeding Children Everywhere organizations, Oasis For Haiti's Children delivered numerous boxes of rice in the community of Sassier, Jeremie located in the southern peninsula of Haiti.  Father Tony Leolien, Head of Saint Jean Baptiste Church of Sassier and his committee ensured a very well organized process.  On Christmas Day 2016, children and families had gathered after Mass near the community church which was completely destroyed by the storm to receive the goods.  The toys were distributed to the children of the villagers who otherwise  would have nothing to distract themselves for the holidays.  The rice, beans, spaghetti, macaroni, water, clothes and tarps went to their families who had their resources cut off as a result of the storm.

 

We are thankful for everyone's generosity.

 

In Unity,

 

Oasis For Haiti's Children Family

 

 

January 1, 2017

 

New Year's Day was a day filled of fun and laughter at Oasis For Haiti's Children Sport and Education Center in Grand Boucan, Mirebalais.  It was such a joy to be reunited with the families  and to deliver the donated toys and clothes.  Seeing the

 

excitement on the children's faces was truly a gift that I will always treasure.

 

Yanick Louis-Lindquist

 

Founder of Oasis For Haiti's Children

 

 

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2017 Summer Camp Program

 

Reflections from Kam:  Our 2017 Summer Camp Volunteer

 

When I got the invitation to travel to Haiti with the Lindquist family, I was extremely excited/nervous. I have traveled to many different places in my life but never a place like Haiti. Prior to our voyage, dfferent friends of mine were telling stories about their experiences in Haiti, kind of trying to see what I was getting myself into. As soon as we touched down in the airport, I could tell the country was in extreme need of all different resources. As we traveled throughout the country, all the villages were different and it was amazing to see how different these people live. What really opened my eyes was volunteering at the camp that the Lindquist family founded over three years ago. The kids were extremely grateful to see us there and their faces lit up with smiles as soon as our car pulled in. Once we left, I noticed myself missing all the kids and those beautiful smiles. Overall, this trip was one of the best experiences of my life. It opened my eyes to everything that we all take for granted. I thank the Lindquist family, for bringing me along and I'm looking foward to returning.

 

Reflections from Oran Lindquist, Camp Manager

 

Every year, one sees more growth, organization, and improvement at our camp Oasis For Haiti's Children.  I

 

am proud of my wife Yanick (Nicky) who first had the idea of giving back to the village where her family was

 

from in the highlands of Haiti.  Lex, our middle son exhibited excellent leadership in introducing new games and

 

sports to the children.  Our boys always   show the kids  genuine warmth and affection,  we are very proud of

 

them.  We are also thankful for the generosity of our friends and families  who made all this possible.

 

 

Update on improvements

 

There are several improvements made to our facility this summer such as:  leveling of the field, a new basketball court, and new signs.  This five acre farmland sits on a mountain, it had a tilt which made it difficult to play sports and other games.  It would be very expensive to rent a tractor so we used oxen to plow and level the field.  Many of the villagers joined in to complete this strenuous task.  This made it possible to construct a concrete basketball court.  A local artist hand painted  colorful signs, the name of the organization is beautifully written in both English and Creole on the building  and our address is nicely printed on another  sign.  The camp has indeed become a true oasis. 

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January 1, 2018

 

The kids at Oasis For Haiti's Children had a joyful time again this new year as they opened their presents on New Year's Day, sang Christmas songs and just had fun all day.  My son Lyle and I were just as elated to be reunited with them.  

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2018 Summer Camp Program

The basketball court was a great addition to the camp this year.  None of the children has ever played the game so they were very excited to learn a new sport instructed by my son Lex. We also brought with us this summer a huge beach ball and a multicolored parachute where the children learned to play a variety of activities such as parachute volleyball, Making waves,

Merry-Go- Round, Parachute tag etc. 
We all had a blast. We are very proud this year to announce that due to fundraising efforts and warm hearts of our donors, we were able to sponsor Gardo,  one of our most skilled soccer players on an official team in the city of Mirebalais this year.  He will have the chance to travel and compete against other teams throughout the region.  It is our hope to offer similar opportunities to other soccer players in the future.  


2019 Summer Camp Program
 

The kids are thriving at Oasis For Haiti's Children, the only Recreational Center in the village.  Approximately, 50 new children showed up and we of 

course embraced them with open arms.  Fortunately, we had a full house of volunteers this summer, Kam who had returned added to Jonny and Nori 

who joined our family. Jonny constructed the volleyball poles with some assistance and they taught the kids the rules of the game.  The children, 

continue to appreciate and learn from our volunteers.  And for us, we are enriched by their presence.


Update on 2020-2021

The past couple years have been tumultuous for the people of Haiti due to a series of crisis including earthquake, kidnapping surge, rampant insecurity, a deadly pandemic and the assassination of President Jovenel  Moise.  However, Oasis For Haiti's Children has continued to answer the call of the most vulnerable members of that society by providing food and other essentials to the earthquake victims in the Southern part of Haiti and to the children at OASIS and their marginalized communities.

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