Creating Connections

Welcome to Creating Connections, a cultural and inter-student exchange between middle school students at the Metropolitan Learning Center in Portland, Oregon and SOPUDEP School in Petion-ville, Haiti. Students will learn about the cultural landscape and exchange short presentations with each other, and in the process begin establishing an enduring relationship between our two worlds.

From Rea Dol, Director of SOPUDEP

SOPUDEP is a grassroots community organization creating real and lasting change for children in need in Haiti.

This approach is reflected in Creating Connections, working with the students to define and solve the problems they experience in their homes and their communities, working together with MLC students overseas to create opportunities for our students to live safe, healthy and fulfilling lives and have more knowledge through education. Our works take us into the heart of the community of Petion-Ville, where we help children and families assist themselves to knowledge.

SOPUDEP is not a member of international organization. The story of Sopudep is a story of positive grassroots change for children. We ensure that our students have the skills to enable them to continue that change. Support from our donors helps us develop a hot lunch programs 5 days a week to our students and to the community of Morne Lazare Petion Ville Haiti where we located.

SOPUDEP thinks one of the first steps in helping a community recover is to get the children in that community to go to school. The connections  IMS and MLC also provides a natural support structure, where our students can share their experiences with friends and teachers, and know that they're not alone in how they feel.