Hello and thank you for reading about our fundraiser! We are ChildsPlay International (CPI), a small but efficient non-profit based in New York.

A few years ago, CPI helped create a workshop for Haitian children with renowned master mask-maker, Didier Civil. So, now that we know the cultural landscape, as well as Didier’s capacity to teach and the children’s ability to respond enthusiastically, we are taking this project to the next level. There will be more children, and more intensive teaching.

We are excited to be partnering with Didier again and here is the plan:

Two workshops lasting eight weeks
200 children will be served, giving them invaluable skills as mask-making is a livelihood in Haiti
Workshops will be run on school premises in different cities
Didier will provide constant supervision and instruction to the instructors and hand-picked volunteers
Materials are readily available in Haiti: the papier mâché's basic materials are paper, water and homemade glue
Budget : USD 20,000

Your donation will go towards:

Providing paint, varnish, clay, food, transportation, and related items to mount a full-scale project
Salary to Didier and the 8-10 adults who will help run the workshop. Haiti has been hit hard by the pandemic, so we cannot ask the local team to help run our program as a charitable gesture and without adequate compensation.

But why masks? Masks are the essence of Haitian Carnival, and mask-making celebrates the indigenous culture. It enables children to learn culturally relevant skills while having great fun. It opens a door to imagining themselves, realistically and fantastically, preserved in a tangible object.

This new initiative will reach 200 children on school campuses in different cities and will train a select group to become apprentice mask-making teachers. It will provide for a sustainable future by organizing mask-making classes and clubs. There will be eight skilled volunteers, with Didier offering constant supervision and instruction.

By helping CPI support this project, you help these eager, responsive children who appreciate the professional and cultural value of what they can learn. The masks can be shown locally, in high-profile venues, potentially internationally and online. The children will be able to sell their work (Haitian masks are collectibles), and experience the joy of financial recognition for their efforts.

By helping CPI, you help these eager, responsive children, who appreciate the professional and cultural value of what they can learn skills and feel resiliency and empowerment. The project will result in tangible objects and a sustainable program.Fully executed masks can be shown locally, in high-profile venues, potentially internationally, and online. The children will be able to sell their work (Haitian masks are collectibles), and experience the joy of gaining financial recognition for their efforts.

We pay for the food, and the local community will cook and serve. It’s a community affair, after all.

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Help Children in Haiti learn the local art of mask making

By ChildsPlay International

Help Children in Haiti learn the local art of mask making

We are building on the success of our mask making workshop for the children in Jacemel, Haiti