Some more about the fine preschool Maloney which I visited a few years ago. Preschools in Trinidad is over three years and in preparing the children for primary school.
The children come to school at 9:00 and goes home 14.30. Every day, some 90 kids get a good start in life. They learn the alphabet, word formation, and also to form simple sentences. They learn to count. They are taught to draw and paint, and then talk about what they have created. Obviously, there is room for play and other fun stuff. Yep, it's very loud just as it should be when the children run around and play.
I had a lot of fun in Maloney and it would be fun to go back there sometime to see how it looks now.

Learn more about sponsoring a child.

The goal of Star of Hope's preschool activities in Trinidad is to give poor children the skills necessary to be able to get into the primary school, so that in future they will be able to control their own lives. The Star of Hope's nursery, the children also a receives nutritious food. We simply want to give them a good start in life, as all children deserve.

This year Star of Hope in Trinidad celebrates 25 years, as well as preschool Maloney who has been there from the beginning. The preschool in St. Joseph is celebrating 10 years. We want to give more children a chance to get a good start in life, so if you want to help us with this please contact us.

Star of Hope goat program started before Christmas 2008 after the natural disaster of a hurricane and three tropical storms in a short time. It is very popular among the recipients.

Those who receive a goat or chicken in a gift given information about the program and all must share the offspring within a year to other villagers so that more families can take part in the program.

Star of Hope has distributed more than 800 goats since its inception, and we want to give more. Now, more than ever after Hurricane Sandy, a gift in form of a goat to a poor and affected family is very important and appreciated. The goat gives the family hope for the future.

One of those now getting ready to receive and then distribute Christmas packages is Liana in Latvia. She has together with her husband Ivar ran the Christmas package distribution for Star of Hope for many years in Latvia and they are real fighters who will do anything to get the packages delivered before Christmas.

Hurricane Sandy stricken Hesse village really bad. Parts of the school roof was destroyed, the water line through the village was broken so it is difficult for the villagers to get water again.

Large areas of crops (bananas, Congo beans and milo) that would be harvested soon was destroyed, and many goats and other animals have died.

The situation is now urgent for the people of Hesse. The only thing they have to eat is what you can find on the ground before it rots. I really suffer with the people of this somewhat shielded part of Haiti. Life is always hard up there in the mountains, but now it is extra tough.

Your donation to the poor and severely affected people in Hesse is needed now more than ever.

You can donate by clicking on this link.

All pictures by Tony Boursiquot, the project manager in Haiti. More pictures available on Flickr.