Greetings from Health for Haiti.
As the 2023/2024 school term comes to a close, we are excited to share an update from the school in Grande Saline. Health for Haiti has been partnering with this school for just over a decade, and through good times and bad we have seen the unwavering transformative power of quality education. Nelson Mandela said, “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world”. During this current period when weapons of violence seem to dominate the news coming out of Haiti, we are proud to be sharing news about this positive “weapon” for change that is giving hundreds of young people in Grande Saline the opportunity to achieve their dreams.
Although conditions in Haiti have continued to steadily deteriorate, the school has grown from about 25 students in 2014 to nearly 300 students today, and continues to serve as an encouraging beacon of hope and pride for the entire community. And this is a true community school, where even the poorest children are not turned away. Many parents are unable to pay tuition as the violence, unrest, and ongoing humanitarian crisis in Haiti have made it nearly impossible for people to earn a living. Some of the families have fled from the chaos and destruction of the more urban areas, and are struggling to try to rebuild their lives, with few opportunities for generating any kind of income.
Through it all, the twenty-five teachers and support staff have continued to show up and work with the children – many times without any certainty that will receive compensation for their important work. The teachers, staff, and students are the living heart of our school. Nelson Mandela also said, “It is what we make out of what we have, not what we are given, that separates one person from another”. We are proud to introduce you to some of our amazing and dedicated staff who are making incredible contributions even when they are given very little to support their efforts. We are proud of each and every member of the staff, and hope that you will take a few minutes to learn about them.
“My name is Miss Emiline Dort. I am a kindergarten teacher. I have been working at the school for two years. Working with these children is a dream come true for me.”
“My name is Miss Marie-Milène Saint-Phard and I am also a kindergarten teacher. I was a student at this school when I was little, and I always said that I must become a teacher so I can work at the school. I am very excited as a former student who is now serving the community.”
This is Miss Amisna. She is the first grade teacher. “I have been teaching at the school for three years,” says Miss Amisna. “I like our school very much. I am also proud to share that my son is a student at this school.”
This is Mr. Marckenson Dort. Mr. Dort teaches the third grade class and is much loved by his students. Mr. Dort might look familiar to some of our Health for Haiti supporters because he is a former recipient of our Helping Children Scholarship Program. “It is now my pleasure to serve at the school and give back to my community,” says Mr. Dort.
This is Mr. Richmond Pierre and he is the 4th grade teacher. “I have been working at the school for 9 years. I have known a lot of good times and I have also known a lot of bad times, but I am still here and I am proud to be a part of this amazing team.”
This is Mr. Alexandre Augustin. “I am a 2nd grade teacher and I have been working at the school for 3 years,” says Mr. Augustin. “I have so much love for the school and my community.”
Mr. Kimson is the 6th grade teacher. Mr. Kimson travels quite a distance by foot to work every day. “I have been working at the school for 3 years,” says Mr. Kimson. “I always dreamed of working in this school because of its structure and good performance.”
This is a picture of Mr. Alex Bithiou, the 5th grade teacher. He has been serving at the school since we first connected with the community in 2014! Mr. Alex says, I have worked at our school for 10 years and I’m very proud of this because I am from the community.”
Now that our school has expanded to serve older children, we also need more specialized teachers who can help prepare our students for the national exams. One of those teachers is Mr. Wenguerson. He teaches mathematics to our 7th, 8th, 9th grade students. Mr. Wenguerson lives far away and comes to work at our school two days a week. “I travel so far that I have to sleep in the area when I am here,” explains Mr. Wenguerson.
As amazing as our dedicated teachers are, the school could not function without support staff. This is Ms. Cherlie and she has been working at the school for seven years as a secretary and treasurer. Ms. Cherlie says she loves the school very much. In fact, her father was a teacher and former principal. Ms. Cherlie is an important presence at the school and helps everything to run smoothly. The staff and students report that she always gives her best so that the school can be a center for excellence.
We are also so very proud of our students. The students recently completed final exams for the 2023-2024 term. Grades kindergarten through eighth grade took their exams in their classrooms. Included in the pictures below you can see out sixth grade students who took a rigorous exam that they must pass to become eligible to move on to seventh grade next year. The ninth grade national exams will not be offered until later in July. We have twenty-two students who are planning to take the national exam.
This year we also invested in the physical infrastructure of the school. As our enrollment swelled by over one hundred students since the last term, we were running out of suitable learning spaces. The students were very crowded in the existing classrooms. A few classrooms have sheet metal walls that are hot on sunny days and let water in on rainy ones, making learning even more challenging.
Thanks to our generous supporters including parishioners from Church of the Holy Family in Endwell, students and staff at Tioga Hills Elementary School, and a generous donation from a business with ties to the area, we were able to help the school build new classroom spaces that can comfortably accommodate sixty students. The materials and labor needed for the construction were purchased from vendors in the Grande Saline area, helping to support Haiti’s fragile economy. Below you can see the progress that was made from the original design all the way through the completed classrooms.
The community inaugurated the new classrooms with a special celebration where the rooms were decorated by students and their families with fabric and balloons. Says school principal, Pastor Dorcent Berlando, ” The construction of the new classroom is an extraordinary thing for our community. It completely changes the physical aspect of the school. It is a large space that facilitates learning and is a clear sign of our commitment to excellence.”
Despite the ongoing difficulties in Haiti, it was a school term with much to celebrate. The progress we observed this year would not have been possible without the ongoing support from our generous Health for Haiti donors. Thank you to all who have not given up on Haiti, a small country whose people have endured so much for so long.
We would like to recognize the efforts of local New York students who supported Health for Haiti this school year. We are grateful to the SUNY Broome engineering and dental hygiene students who organized and assisted with multiple fundraisers, including an incredible Haitian dinner. Students in the SUNY Broome Engineering Club are also sharing their time and skill by working with the community in Haiti to design a future solar bakery for Grande Saline.
We are also grateful to the students and staff at Tioga Hills Elementary School who sold popcorn and organized other events to raise money for the school in Grande Saline. In June the two schools were able to see each other via Zoom and share some greetings, waves, and smiles. Tioga Hills – your efforts were so appreciated by your friends in Haiti!
One donor who we would also like to recognize is local Vestal student Brianna. Brianna first learned about Health for Haiti eight years ago when she was a student at Tioga Hills Elementary School. After seeing a presentation about the kids in Grande Saline, Brianna was inspired to have fundraiser where she sold baked goods and toys. Brianna donated all the proceeds from her sale to Health for Haiti.
To the left is a picture of Brianna at her sale when she was a student at Tioga Hills Elementary School.
Brianna recently contacted Health for Haiti and shared that she is graduating from high school this year and will be attending Binghamton University in the fall. Incredibly, Brianna said that she wanted to have another sale for Haiti. What an incredible and amazing surprise! Below is a picture of Brianna today and the display tables from her recent sale.
Thank you to this extraordinary young woman who, at what is certainly and incredibly busy time in her life, made such a generous contribution to the families in Haiti. When informed of her efforts, Pastor Dorcent Berlando stated, “I am humbled by Brianna’s sacrifices to help my community. We send our love and wish God’s grace upon her.”
Without help from people like Brianna and the other students and community members who have partnered with us, the kind of progress shared in this post would not be possible. So thank you to everyone who has continued to share their resources with Health for Haiti. The news out of Haiti is hard to watch, but we cannot forget about the ordinary people who just want a safe and healthy life.
In addition to helping to support high quality education, Health for Haiti is also continuing our efforts to provide clean, safe drinking water (serving about 1500 people), community gardens, and a sewing program. Please consider supporting our projects with a donation (see note below for details). Every dollar makes a difference and no donation is too small.
We hope that everyone has a safe, fun, and restful summer. We look forward to the 2024/2025 school year with optimism, excitement, and a commitment to continue to work hard to help provide excellent education for this community in rural Haiti.
Thank you from Health for Haiti.
NOTE ABOUT HOW TO DONATE: Unfortunately, due to the persistent unrest and instability in Haiti, it is not possible to teach the Health for Haiti course and bring college students to Haiti. As a result, SUNY Broome Community College will no longer accept donations for Health for Haiti. The Health for Haiti charitable account is now hosted by The Community Foundation for South Central New York. Donations can be made online by scanning the QR code below or by mailing checks made out to “Heath for Haiti Fund” to The Community Foundation for South Central New York, 520 Columbia Drive, Johnson City, NY 13790
