With the earthquake in Jan. 2010 devastating parts of the country, Haiti has been receiving billions of dollars in emergency relief funds for the basics like shelter, food, and most importantly healthcare for it’s inhabitants. A non-profit organization called Bridge of Diamonds, an extension of YogaKids, hopes to bring the children of Haiti some important healthcare, but for their minds, and help to rebuild their self-confidence through Yoga.

Four instructors plan to give these kids a sense of hope through eight days of  introducing them to the practice. Their broader goal being to to reach out to them and show them that people do care about them, and are paying attention to what is going on. This will be the organization’s second trip out there, and they were able to help care for close to 200 children the first time. They leave on July 24, and are making a third trip in August.

Obviously Yoga is different for children, than it is for adults. Keeping this in mind instructors have planned for the classes to be exciting, new and creative, as well as informative. Teaching the kids to relax through meditation, and hopefully gain coping skills, showing them ways to persevere by gaining inner strength.

In addition to bearing their Yoga gifts, one instructor raised $5000 on her own, gathered upwards of 200 beanie babies to hand out, and tie-dyed towels for the girls, instead of giving them shorts.

Of course natives were skeptical at first, not believing that something like Yoga could bring these kids anything helpful. With the first trip being such a success though, most have come to the conclusion that Yoga may show the children a way to obtain peace amongst the chaos that is their everyday life. Isn’t that what it does for us all?

For more information about their upcoming trip, and different ways you can help if you want, visit their website here. They are accepting any form of assistance you can give, and you can also view the pictures from their previous visit.