Photo taken at home-2006...Gerdes on drum and Florienne on his leftUNSUNG HEROES- GERDES FLEURANT AND FLORIENNE SAINTIL
Greetings all,
As I predisposed in my emails sent out to my network list and websites I participate in a few days ago-BHM this year for me will mostly be about unsung heroes closer to home…
They are regular folks that I know very well for years that have been at work for the good of Haiti and Haitian issues.
They are in their own ways living dedicating their capability to acting-not so much pointing out culprits, forecasting…or waiting for others to do what they themselves can very well do. In short, these chosen few on my list have not chosen to limit their input for Haiti and its issues to just---talking…
I begin my UNSUNG HEROES 2008 with:
Founders, Gerdès Fleurant, Ph.D.and Florienne M. Saintil, M.Ed.
From their website- The Gawou Ginou Foundation I am sharing the following prior to my personal comments later.
Gerdès and Florienne now spend their time between the US (Cambridge, MA, and Lauderhill, FL) and Mirebalais, Haiti where they have built the Léocardie and Alexandre Kenscoff Cultural Center. The realization of their dream of more than twenty years, as husband and wife, building the Cultural Center stems from their determination to contribute actively to the education of the common people from Haiti's countryside.
Florienne retired early (2004) from her position as an elementary school teacher in the Somerville Schools to spend time in Mirebalais at the Gawou Ginou School to teach the children, their teachers and parents about modern educational methods.
Gerdès taught Sociology and African American Studies at Salem State College where he chaired the AAS Program until 1992 to join full-time the Wellesley College Music Department. At Wellesley, he taught Enthnomusicology and co-founded the Yanvalou Drum & Dance Ensemble, which introduces students to Haitian culture and music.
Gerdès *retired from his Wellesley College tenure (June 2005) to focus fully on his applied ethnomusicological research in Haiti.
Gerdès and Florienne who serve on the board of the Gawou Ginou Foundation, Inc., devote their time also to fundraising, to work on developing educational material for use in the school in Haiti, to help educate Haitian-Americans about the validity of their culture, and to foster cultural solidarity between Haiti and the United States. As the main promoters of this project, they are thankful for the opportunity to serve, and are grateful to all of you who have contributed thus far. Without your financial help and moral support, the work of the Foundation will be severely compromised.
Please visit their site:
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