[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1659983453629{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”]Last week while working on a grant proposal we revisited this video we shared back in June. It’s the story of a mother at the Children’s Academy, Natacha, her two sons, Gedeon and Samuel, and the impact the school has had on their lives in recent years.

While grant proposals can be a lot of work, they are also good opportunities to reevaluate what we’re doing in light of the grantor’s priorities. This proposal had us thinking hard about the deeper goals of our work – beyond (important, but) basic outcomes like higher student enrollment and better nutrition.

It had us thinking about how Natacha, Gedeon and Samuel have grown and evolved as people, neighbors, community members, and citizens, and how this evolution has impacted their social and spiritual connections to others and the earth.

With this in mind, we find Natacha’s words here newly inspiring. Before the school’s arrival, Natacha felt that her community had been cursed. It had a bad reputation and offered no opportunities. Today, it gives her hope for her kids, her community and her country, and she proudly considers herself a capable leader working towards a better future.

Despite Haiti’s ongoing challenges, we draw inspiration from Natacha and her sons, and we look forward to walking along side them as we work together toward that brighter future she envisions.[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”24px”][vc_video link=”https://youtu.be/xN6twpGLz48″][/vc_column][/vc_row]