We’ve attended the English Club a few times now; they also have ballroom dancing lessons, and other community activities. When we go the other students there are eager to ask us how to pronounce words and are eager to say the few words they know in English. I met one girl in particular who made an impression on me. She had the highest amount of determination; even while the club was going on she would bring her English textbook and work through sentences if the teacher was working with someone else. “I love to speak English,” she told me as I walked back, “When I see Americans I want to speak to them so I can practice my English.” I thought about what she said some more and I realized that the chance to learn English is a true opportunity for Haitians. Being able to speak English automatically gets you work as a translator for the numerous NGO’s in the country and separates you from the average person because of the opportunities you can receive.

When I first saw that they were giving the salsa lessons I was a bit confused. Why is this happening? But when I got there and saw how the teenagers were eager to learn and properly execute what they just learned. The guys were competing with each other and looking at each movement to do it precisely. From my own experience I can see how ballroom dancing requires full control of your body and how it requires self discipline. I talked to the dance instructor and he told me that his ultimate goal would be to give free ballroom dancing to as many Haitians as possible so that 7 out of 10 Haitians know how to dance. I was pretty surprised when he said this. But I understood the idea behind it. Since it’s summer time and the children in the neighborhood will have a lot of free time, they might as well use their energy to do something constructive and acquire a new skill.