Category: News (Page 76 of 100)

Friends of Haiti,

This is Prophet, the principal of the last of our schools. His school is the last, but by far the biggest, with an ending attendance of 150 last year and that many enrolled for 2013-2014. The biggest problem we have with Prophet’s school is that we have no funding for it as we do the others. Lack of funding makes it difficult on our general funds and for his paying teacher salaries.

His school is located very near the big (and old) bridge going out of Port Au Prince in an area called Bon Repos, or “good rest.” Since it is located near one of the main north/south highways, we have no idea how it got that name. It is also very near the Gris or gray river; hurricanes or heavy tropical storms flood the area, making it hard for the teachers and kids to get to the school.

The school needs to grow in size. But since he is “land locked” we will have to do with what we have, unless we go “up” with the current building, and no one wants to do that.

The way we met Prophet is kind of funny. When Steve began doing clinic in the Port Au Prince area during the summer of 1998 a student nurse worked with him while her school was closed. When it reopened and she went back to school, Steve met Prophet through some of our friends from Texas. At the time they met, neither knew that it was Steve his wife had worked with. It wasn’t until some time later they put it all together. We feel it was God that put it together.

Prophet is a good, Godly man who runs a very good school, despite not having the funding others do. That fact doesn’t diminish his desire to provide the kids there with an education. It also speaks volumes of the teachers who continue to come to teach them, not knowing whether or not there will be a pay check at the end of the month.

We have written several times about the school system in Haiti and how important mission driven schools are to the kids and the country, not to mention the economy of Haiti. Those of you who support a school in Haiti, through sponsorship of a child or a school, are giving them a gift that no one can ever take from them. Everyone appreciates the sacrifice you make for them.

Friends of Haiti,

Back to school! Here and in Haiti, as well. Although school there begins some what later than in the U.S. (September 2) it runs late into the month of June, and later if there are storms that cause the schools to be closed.

This is Prosper and Nadige. We have worked with Prosper in Belanger for about 15 years. In the beginning he had a small school in a tin — all tin — building. Some of you were in that building, although it was more like a sauna. We started working with him after members of his church would walk the 3 miles to where we were doing clinic and finally asked if we would work in their village. Of course, we said yes and like the other areas it has turned into a life long friendship with everyone there.

From that small start, last June his school finished with 100 students and more importantly than the size was the fact that ten of those students passed the government test required of all fifth graders before going into the sixth. That speaks well not only of those who sponsor children there, but also the teachers who are responsible for preparing the students for the next step in their education.

According to a report by the World Bank, 92% of the schools in Haiti are “non-state” schools. Haiti is the only country, among the world’s poorest, where more than 50% of the children are in non-state schools. It also showed that in primary aged children (6-11 yrs) 60% were enrolled in those schools.

What all of that says is, without schools like this one, or Joe’s or Beaubrun’s and others, a very large percentage of children in Haiti would never learn even the basics in education. When you sponsor a child there or help with any aspect of the schools, you are playing a major role in a child’s education and future. And who knows? Maybe even the future of Haiti.

We are always asked to say something to the kids when we arer in one of the schools. The one thing we always tell them is, in school you gain knowledge and with that knowledge comes wisdom, and with that wisdom you have the ability to change the world around you.

Thank you to all who sponsor a child in Belanger or in any of the other schools. It couldn’t be done without your involvement.