Reopening YWCA Haiti

After 4 months of lockdown, YWCA Haiti recently reopened the youth center and resumed program activities for numerous girls and young women with the annual Summer Camp. Although the YWCA Haiti team was in regular contact with the program participants during the lockdown, the extent of the psychological and health impact of the Corona crisis is only now becoming apparent. Many of the girls are malnourished, neglected, and have experienced domestic violence during the lockdown. The needs in the slums of Port-au-Prince are great, and the reopening of the center is essential for all program participants. The Summer Camp was originally planned for 60 participants, but now 160 participants find a safe place at YWCA Haiti after the long lockdown.

The Summer Camp is dedicated to giving the girls the help they need most at the moment. The trained psychologists of the center provide them with psychological and health support. The girls receive two meals a day and are given food packages for the whole family. Since they have not been able to attend school for the last 4 months, they get the opportunity to work through their schoolwork at the summer camp to prepare them for the reopening of schools in August. But the summer camp is also fun and the girls can take part in yoga and dance classes or just enjoy some carefree hours doing handicrafts, painting or drawing.