How do we recognize a hero? Christopher Reeve said, “A hero is an ordinary individual who finds the strength to persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles.” When it comes to “overwhelming obstacles”, the people of Haiti have certainly had more than their fair share. News reports out of Haiti almost always include words like chaos, misery, poverty, and violence. The country of Haiti is currently suffering through a vicious and dangerous uprising, where each day shortages of food, water, fuel, and medical care become more desperate.
Although rural Grande Saline is somewhat isolated from the gang violence seen in and around Port au Prince, the community that Health for Haiti partners with has suffered many negative impacts from the ongoing humanitarian crisis. However, despite near constant fear, stress and uncertainty, hope prevails. Says school principal, Pastor Dorcent Berlando, “Even in these difficult times, we have not lost sight of our vision. We are the seeds of hope and together we are showing a path of positive progress in our community.” So while there is no shortage of obstacles to overcome, there is also no shortage of ordinary individuals, young and old, who display extraordinary perseverance and endurance. Today we are sharing and celebrating some of their stories and the positive progress their efforts have created.
This week Health for Haiti is marking the anniversary of nine years of access to clean, safe drinking water in Grande Saline. For most of the past year, the water filtration system has been powered with solar power, removing the community’s reliance on gas and permitting the system to run for more hours each day. With the current fuel shortages in Haiti, the conversion to solar has been a tremendous blessing for the community. It is remarkable to think that for the past nine years, people in the community have had clean water to drink and have been free from common water-borne diseases. Safe drinking water improves quality of life. Children can stay in school and focus on learning. Adults can care for their families, work, and enjoy overall improved health. The water system is run by local community members with remote assistance from engineer, Greg C and translator Schneider L. People of all ages come to the water system and carry the water, often in heavy five gallon buckets, back to their homes.
The school that Health for Haiti has partnered with has continued to grow, and now serves nearly 300 students. Some of these students fled more urban areas with their families to escape gang violence. These students are grateful to be in a region where school is open and functioning. Other students learned about the reputation that the school has earned for academic excellence. For example, last year’s class of ninth graders had a 100% pass rate on the national exams, and this year the number of students attending ninth grade has doubled. The students value and strive for their education, sometime walking long distances to get to school.
“My name is Jackerty. I am fourteen years old and I am in the ninth grade. I am very confident that I will be successful when I take the ninth grade exams. I want to represent my school well.”
Along with the many new students, we also celebrate the children who have been attending the school for multiple years. We have the pleasure of following the progress of these students as they continue to learn and grow. This includes some students who were part of our first-ever kindergarten graduation a few years ago. Below you can see their kindergarten graduation photo next to a recent picture.
Hello, Friends. I am Micheilla.
I’m 7 years old now. I was 3 years old when I came to this school. I’m happy to be at this school and I thank my teachers for their great efforts.”
“Hi, Friends! My name is Romain.
I am eight years old and I am in second grade. I have five siblings at the school with me. There are six of us here, and that is a big proof that my family loves the education at this school.”
“Hello, Friends! I’m Woodmanie.
I’m seven years old. I have been at this school since kindergarten and now I’m a second grader. I thank my parents and ask them to let me finish at the school until my final graduation to have great memories of my school!”
‘Hi Friends! My name is Welson.
I’m eight years old and I am in second grade. I was part of the first group that graduated from the kindergarten, and I never forgot that moment. I have a lot of good feelings for my school. I have a young sister and I wish to have her at my school to be able to find good education like me.”
Some of our students have been with us even longer, since Health for Haiti first partnered with this community about a decade ago. These students have studied and learned for years, in makeshift classrooms and crowded conditions. They are so proud of their school and appreciative of the opportunity to earn a high quality education.
“My name is Jordens. I’m very attached to my school. I am here to learn and get a good education. Every year I love that I learn new things at school.”
“My name is Marc-Jordan. I’m proud to be in a school that I love so much.”
“My name is Rosenika. I have been in this school since I was in kindergarten, and I am so happy and proud to be here.”
“I am Joselanca. I believe that education is a tool that is helping kids to succeed in the community.”
We are proud of all of the students, teachers, and staff at our partner school in Grande Saline. We express gratitude to the hard-working teachers and staff for the excellent education they provide. Health for Haiti is excited to be working on a new project this year to help the school to build a new classroom building. The new building will have enough space for sixty students to study and learn. The building will accommodate up to eighty people for meetings and events. Completion of this classroom will help alleviate the overcrowding that exists currently. In addition to raising funds for construction of the classroom, we also hope to help the community make desks and benches. We will purchase all materials in Haiti and hire all local labor, thereby supporting the local economy.
We are excited to see these talented and motivated young people move forward with their education and become leaders in their community and country.
We also celebrate the continued success of the Community Garden and the individuals who make this project possible. The garden is used year round to grow rice, corn, tomatoes, peppers and other vegetables. The produce from the garden helps to provide a school lunch for the students and staff.
This year, because of the civil unrest in Haiti, local farmers were unable to safely travel to the markets to sell their rice. Health for Haiti was able to partner with the local community to solve this issue. We used donation money to purchase rice from local farmers. This project also created jobs for community members to package, weigh, and store the rice. The rice was securely stored in the school kitchen and can now be used for school lunches and sold to community members as needed. This was an investment in the community that will continue to pay off, as those involved had money to pay tuition for their children to attend school this year.
All of these projects are examples of how “seeds of hope” can transform a community. Today Health for Haiti celebrates and thanks the many heroes who are learning and working in the community of Grande Saline. You inspire us with your endurance and faith in a better future. We also thank all of our heroes here in the United States whose generosity and support over the last decade have made this work possible. We hope that despite the ongoing challenges of working in Haiti, you will consider continuing to join us in supporting this transformative work. Mesi anpil from Health for Haiti!
