In a country where bad news about youth is heard more often than good, some events deserve a closer look. From August 20 to 24, 2026, at S&H Global School in Caracol, the 9th edition of JeniTimoun, themed "Discerning Time to Build the Future," gave rise to a true reason for hope. This is why I take up the pen.
Much More Than a Competition
JeniTimoun could have been reduced to a simple general knowledge contest. But what happened during the "René Depestre" edition, that of the Limbé Cluster, goes far beyond that. Two hundred thirty (230) children and young people, divided into two age categories (9-14 years and 15-22 years), made an unusual choice: that of school, reading, and memory, rather than chaos and discouragement.
At a time when screens and social networks vie for young people's attention, seeing 230 of them fighting for an answer to a general knowledge question is already a victory in itself.
A Competition That Shapes Character
Categories like the bombing (from the group phase), fishing as a response to the bombing, or the Meta-Memory level are not played randomly. They require concentration, courage, speed, and discipline. They teach young people to lose without breaking and to win without glorifying themselves. These are life skills, not just academic skills.
The competition took place in "fair play, science, and rigor." It showcases the type of citizens we are shaping for tomorrow: young people who respect the rules, respect their opponents, and understand that success requires effort.
Awards That Value Merit
What touches me the most are the academic excellence awards for the 2025-2026 school year. Seventeen (17) young people were ranked as laureates, with Mauricette Sheedolf from CDEJ HA-0839 topping the list with an overall average of 9.97 in her first foundational year. A child succeeding like this in a country facing significant educational challenges sends a clear message to all other children and their parents: effort pays off.
The trophies, medals, tablets, and school kits are not mere gifts. They prove that someone has seen their efforts and respects them. A tablet or a school kit can mean a lot to a family struggling to fund their child's education. The anagram, spelling, and reading (ALEX) contests further reinforce the foundations of the language, upon which all other learning rests.
Excellence in All Its Forms: From Grades to Musical Notes
What distinguishes JeniTimoun is that it does not celebrate just one type of success. On one hand, the program strongly values academic excellence: the top seventeen averages are rewarded, conveying to children that schoolwork matters and deserves public recognition.
On the other hand, it pays equal attention to the talents that young people possess in all fields. Take Marcelo Juan, a young man with exceptional musical talent. He plays several instruments, including the piano, violin, and percussion, and sings opera with great precision, a style among the most demanding. Such a path requires years of discipline, patience, and self-demand, the same qualities as an academic laureate.
The message is powerful: a young person does not have to choose between being a "good student" and being an "artist." Everyone has a gift, and a society that encourages it, whatever it may be, gives itself the means to build its future.
In the Wake of Excellence: Nemours Guemaha R. Mario, An Inspiring Trajectory
What if we took a moment to contemplate a phenomenon that shines across northern Haiti? It is neither a solar eclipse, nor an aurora borealis, nor a shooting star. The phenomenon in question is much more impressive, and it has a name: Nemours Guemaha R. Mario.
It is a superior intelligence that imposes itself through consistency, a talent revealed through effort, a young woman whose journey can only inspire. Year after year, competition after competition, distinction after distinction, she continues to make excellence a true trajectory.
Her story with JeniTimoun is a beautiful illustration of this. Already JeniTimoun champion of the Limbé Cluster in 2025, then regional North JeniTimoun champion the same year, she has confirmed, through these various stages, a remarkable ability to stand out through her intelligence, mastery, and commitment.
To this series of performances was added a major academic distinction: she was the top laureate of the admission contest for the Faculty of Medicine at the State University of Haiti in Limonade, a success that attests to the solidity of her intellectual aptitudes.
Then came a more emblematic recognition. As part of the contest organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Worship (MAEC) to select beneficiaries of scholarships offered by the government of the Kingdom of Morocco to young Haitian graduates, she was selected for an excellence scholarship for medical studies in Morocco. A new door thus opens, and her journey is now set to cross national borders.
Today, she returns to the forefront with a new distinction: at the end of the 9th edition (René Depestre, 2026) of JeniTimoun of the Limbé Cluster, she was crowned champion with her CDEJ HA-0198 and was named "Best Player" of the edition.
This new recognition crowns a dynamic made of work, discipline, sacrifice, and a constant will to progress. It especially reveals a young woman capable of bridging several dimensions of excellence: academic performance, general knowledge, leadership, competition, and the ability to transform her potential into concrete results.
Her journey proves that an activity like JeniTimoun is not just a showcase: it is a springboard. Jenitimoun draws its source from the holistic development program for children and youth advocated by Compassion International Haiti in collaboration with 405 churches across the country. It supports young talents at every step, from local competition to university and international doors.
Congratulations, Nemours Guemaha R. Mario. May your intelligence remain a light, may your work be your strength, and may each new conquest elevate you further towards the horizon you are destined for.
An Impact That Goes Beyond the Room
The impact is not limited to the young people who ascended the podium. An event of this magnitude mobilizes the entire community: the host school, catering providers, decorators, manufacturers, judges, moderators, and volunteers. Everyone has found their place in the chain. When a school like S&H Global School opens its doors as an official partner and host, the entire neighborhood takes pride in it.
The friendly football match between the regional northern team of Compassion and the participants of the Limbé cluster added a fraternal dimension. It shows that learning and pleasure are not opposed: they can move forward together. And the gala evening in white that concluded the event provided young people with a solemn and elegant experience that will stay in their memories for a long time.
Let us not forget the media coverage provided by Cristal Magazine, which documented every significant moment. Thanks to it, these stories will not fade away, and they can inspire other young people who were not present.
What We Have Yet to Do
I believe that JeniTimoun presents a true model: when a young person is well-supported, they can shine. But a model should not remain a beautiful event that occurs once a year. For it to really change things, everyone has a role to play:
Parents encourage their children to cultivate their talents, both academic and artistic, and to follow their efforts throughout the year.
Schools open their doors to such initiatives.
Businesses and institutions support activities that invest in youth.
Local authorities recognize and protect spaces where young people can grow in knowledge and art.
The youth have shown us what they are capable of. It is up to us to continue to pave the way for them.
JeniTimoun 2026 has once again demonstrated that a well-supported youth is a youth that shines. May the knowledge gained, the bonds woven, and the values cultivated continue to illuminate the path of every young champion, far beyond this edition.
