By Chris Low | Co-Founder and Executive Director
At the Heart of Learning, Something Is Growing
Do you remember the first time you planted a seed and waited for it to sprout? That quiet mix of hope and wonder fills the gardens of the Matènwa Community Learning Center (Lekòl Kominotè Matènwa, LKM) every day.
Here on Lagonav Island, students learn that when they care for the soil, they are caring for their community. With your support, MCLC continues to show what’s possible when education grows from local roots—where each lesson nurtures self-reliance, teamwork, and dignity.
Because of your generosity, children aren’t just learning about agriculture—they’re growing food that feeds their classmates and cultivating confidence that will nourish their futures. Thank you for believing in their potential and in the simple, beautiful truth that learning and resilience grow side by side.
This Quarter at LKM (August–October 2025) From Manyòk to Kasav
In October, fifth-grade students harvested cassava from the school garden, then washed, grated, and pressed it to make kasav, the traditional Haitian flatbread that sustains so many families. They didn’t just observe the process—they completed it from soil to stove. Through this, students saw how their labor could become nourishment for the whole school community.
Raising Onions and Tomatoes
Students and teachers explored creative, low-cost ways to propagate new plants using recycled materials. For the onion activity, they placed fully grown onions in the top halves of plastic water bottles cut in two. The bottom halves held a little water so that the onions rested just above it—close enough for humidity to reach the roots but without touching the water itself. Soon, delicate white roots began to appear, showing students how regeneration can happen with care and patience.
For the tomatoes, students laid thin slices of ripe fruit directly on soil. Each slice contained seeds that soon germinated into clusters of seedlings ready for transplanting. Both activities helped students understand how life renews itself—and how simple household materials can spark new growth.
These small experiments capture the heart of MCLC’s approach: turning creativity and local materials into lasting knowledge.
Learning with Agronomist Elijèn
Agronomist Elijèn guided students as they planted carrots in the school garden. He showed them how to prepare soil, weed carefully, and manage water—lessons they could later apply at home. His teaching turns theory into practice, reinforcing MCLC’s belief that the best classroom is often the one beneath the open sky.
“Patat nan sak” (Sweet Potatoes in Sacks)
In partnership with agronomy students from the University of Fondwa, MCLC experimented with growing sweet potatoes in sacks—a low-cost, space-efficient method ideal for families with little or no arable land. It’s one more way that innovation and community learning are taking root.
Stories of Growth and Change Djawens’ Story: Growing Change
Have you ever watched a child take pride in something they built with their own hands? That same spark lives in Djawens, a student who has been part of MCLC since kindergarten. From the beginning, he loved the feel of soil between his fingers and the quiet patience it requires.
Now, as the student responsible for the sixth-grade garden plot, Djawens leads his classmates in planting and caring for vegetables that help supply the school’s breakfast program. Every weekend, he returns to the garden to water, weed, and check on the plants. His dedication has inspired his peers—and reminded his teachers that leadership often begins with care.
When MCLC’s educators talk about what their gardens teach, they often point to Djawens. He shows that when young people are trusted with responsibility, they grow into it—and pass that confidence on to others.
Jean Agga’s Story: Returning Knowledge Home
Can you recall a teacher or mentor who opened a door for you—someone who saw your potential before you did? That’s what MCLC did for Jean Agga.
In 2023, Jean graduated from MCLC with a passion for learning but no path to higher education. The following year, MCLC partnered with the University of Fondwa, allowing graduates to take the entrance exam right on campus. Jean seized the opportunity—and earned a scholarship to study agronomy.
Now in his second year, Jean is one of the first MCLC graduates continuing university studies through this partnership. He reflects:
“Thanks to this opportunity that MCLC gave me, I will be a great agronomist. My dream is to start an agronomy school in my hometown so I can share all I have learned with the youth there, so we can develop our community.”
Jean’s journey captures the heart of this project: education that equips young people not only to feed their families, but to return home and multiply opportunity for others.
Your Impact Across 2025 (Calendar Year)
While these stories reflect the most recent quarter, your generosity has shaped transformation across the full 2025 calendar year:
Each number represents a family nourished, a teacher equipped, a child fed—and your compassion at work in the soil of Matènwa.
Why It Matters
Haiti faces immense challenges—economic instability, gang violence, climate change, and rising food prices that make daily life harder for rural families. Yet in the midst of this uncertainty, the people of Lagonav continue to plant, nurture, and hope.
The gardens you help sustain are more than lessons in agriculture; they are anchors of stability and dignity. Each student who learns to plant, compost, or irrigate gains a skill that can feed a family. Each family that starts a garden takes one more step toward independence.
Because of you, MCLC can keep connecting education with food security—proving that when learning is rooted in local realities, entire communities can thrive.
Thank You
What do you hope will grow from your own life’s work? In Matènwa, that same hope takes root each time a child plants a seed.
Your generosity continues to plant seeds of knowledge, nourishment, and resilience. Because of you, hundreds of children are learning how to grow food, care for the earth, and lead their communities toward a stronger future.
Every cassava root, tomato seedling, and family garden is a reflection of your belief in what’s possible. Mèsi anpil for standing with Matènwa and helping this work grow.
— The Friends of Matènwa Team
(In partnership with Lekòl Kominotè Matènwa, Lagonav, Haiti)
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By Chris Low | Co-Founder and Executive Director
By Chris Low | Co-Founder and Executive Director
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