ACTIVA is a set of fun and instructive activities organized by the Salesians in Haiti during the summer holidays for the benefit of the children and young people who attend their centers. With the support of Don Bosco Mondo of Germany, this project was again realized in 2017, allowing nearly 4,000 mostly disadvantaged youth to enjoy an action-packed summer.
Eight Salesian centers participated in the program, which was organized around the theme “Jen se vakans, ann grandi an fanmi,” which translates as “The youth are on vacation, as one big family.” The days consisted of recreation, cultural activities, and human and religious formation, and a hot meal was served each day for lunch. Workshops were offered in eighteen different subjects, including Computers, Cooking and Pastries, Music, Floral Arts, Plastic Arts, English, Crafts, Dance, Electricity, Drawing, Macramé, Telephone Troubleshooting, Embroidery, Cosmetology, Sewing, Painting, and Tiling.
Outings were also organized throughout the program. For instance, the youth of Fort Liberté spent two days at beach; those of Cap-Haïtien spend a day in Labadie, while the children of Les Cayes visited the Botanical Gardens.
The summer program ended with big parties where the youth could show all that they had learned. Dances, music, and crafts were exhibited to family and friends while all enjoyed refreshments.
Overall, the summer allowed the youth to get to know each other better, offered them wholesome opportunities, taught them useful knowledge, helped them to growing in mutual respect, and welcomed them further into the Salesian charism. We look forward to next summer!
