Music Helps Children Find Joy, Hope and a Sense of Belonging Away From Home
For 13-year-old Isaac, leaving home meant leaving behind the neighborhood where he had grown up, his friends, and the familiarity of everyday life. Violence forced Isaac and his family to flee their home and seek safety at a displacement camp in Delmas 33.
His older sister, Shnaïda, 15, experienced the same sudden disruption. “When I had to leave, I felt strange because this is the area where I grew up. I found myself leaving for another place that I didn’t even know,” she recalls.
For children experiencing displacement, moments of safety, learning, play, and connection are especially important. Through the Plezi Mizik Composing Futures program, CORE, in partnership with Music Heals International (MHI) and Music Will, created one such opportunity for Isaac, Shnaïda, and other displaced children.
Plezi Mizik Summer Camp
In August 2026, CORE and our partners welcomed 16 children living at the camp to our annual Plezi Mizik Summer Camp. They joined a larger group of nearly 80 kids and teens for four weeks of music, creative activities, play, and learning.
During the camp, children learned to play music, created art like macramé, played with other children, and received a daily meal. Advanced Plezi Mizik students served as mentors, sharing their musical knowledge and supporting younger participants.
For Isaac, the camp offered something he deeply valued: a place where he could play and feel at ease. “When I went to the summer camp, I felt good. I had fun, I ate, and I played the drums. I felt comfortable playing. I was happy.”
For Shnaïda, music became a way to focus on something positive. “When you are having a moment of relaxation, you don’t think about anything else. You only think about the music. I just want to be able to pick up the bass and play any kind of music.”
The camp also gave Shnaïda new skills. Before participating, she did not know the musical notes. “They taught them to me, and now I can start playing a song on my own,” she says.
Facing a new reality
The impact of the experience became particularly visible when the children performed at a concert organized at the IDP site in Delmas 33. In front of their parents, friends, and fellow community members, the children played, sang, and danced, proudly demonstrating what they had learned during the summer camp.
For their parents, seeing their children perform was an emotional moment. Isaac and Shnaïda’s father, Jésus Soire, has watched Isaac’s love for music since childhood. He recalls how his son would collect cooking pots and other materials to build his own drums. “God gives you the talent, but you need someone to help you develop that talent. With the talent God has given him, he will go far in life,” he shared.
For Jésus, supporting his children’s musical abilities is also an investment in their future. “Nowadays, music has become a profession. If God keeps them in music, it will help them accomplish great things,” he added.
Watching his children perform brought him immense pride: “Which parent could see their child making such progress and not feel happy?”.
Creating opportunities where hope can grow
The Plezi Mizik program has been using music as a transformative tool since 2014, promoting success, resilience, creativity, and inclusion among school-age children. The program currently operates at eight locations—seven schools and CORE’s Community Development Center (CDC) across Delmas—with approximately four hours of music classes provided weekly at every site.
For displaced children, this opportunity can be especially meaningful. Isaac remembers the fear and uncertainty of leaving home. At the camp, he found a space where he could play without that same sense of fear.
For Fritz Lerneau, president of the IDP site, activities like these provide children with more than entertainment. They can also open doors to future opportunities. “These types of activities are important for us at the site. The children see them as entertainment, but they can also become a profession for them.”
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For Isaac and Shnaïda, a month of music might not erase the experience of displacement. But it gave them something important: a safe space to learn, express themselves, connect with others, and experience moments of happiness again. “I thank God for allowing me to participate in such a wonderful activity,’’ exclaims Isaac, his face beaming with joy.
With the support of MHI and partners like CORE, opportunities like Plezi Mizik can help children facing displacement discover their abilities, rebuild confidence, and keep looking toward the future.
And sometimes, giving a child a place to learn, play, perform, and be heard can be the beginning of finding hope again. Learn more about CORE’s ongoing work in Haiti.