Something to Celebrate!

The people of Haiti continue to struggle and face ongoing challenges that prevent any semblance of a peaceful and secure existence. In a recent interview, Interim Prime Minister, Gary Conille, stated, “Gangs control 80% of the capital but not only that, we have close to 600,000 displaced people, 45 percent food insecure, and we are looking at cholera in parts of the country. At the end of the day, we have 12,000 thugs holding 12 million people hostage.”

With no functional government in place since the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse in July 2021 and no plan for elections, Haitian people continue to suffer from turmoil and instability. “It’s been quite unfair that for decades, the Haitian people had not had leadership that reflects their courage, that reflects their generosity, and certainly their commitment to hard work and change,” said Prime Minister Conille.

One area that has been negatively impacted by the current conditions is education. The Ministry of National Education and Vocational Training (MENFP) made the decision to push back the school calendar for the academic year 2024-2025. Instead of beginning on September 2 as planned, school is now set to start on October 1, 2024, and is scheduled to run through to July 17, 2025.

The decision to delay the term was based on ongoing violent gang activity and political instability, with gangs expanding their control over roads and ports and posing a threat to school safety. In addition, rising costs for fuel, transportation, and school supplies are making it even more difficult for parents, many of whom have no reliable source of income, to send their children to school. The lack of infrastructure, limited resources, and a shortage of qualified teachers have also made quality education even more elusive.

Education continues to be a major focus of the Health for Haiti program. In Grande Saline we have seen school enrollment rise dramatically over the past decade. What started as a program for about twenty-five students grew to over one hundred over a few years. In the past two years, due in part to families fleeing the violence common in more urban areas, our school has grown to serve over three hundred students.

Despite the challenge of a rapidly expanding program, Health for Haiti has not wavered from our commitment to high quality education in Grande Saline. Despite the challenges associated with the burgeoning enrollment, we have continued to invest in professional development for teachers, school infrastructure (such as desperately needed new classrooms, desks, and benches), and nutrition and school supplies for students. These investments have continued to pay off, and we are so proud of the progress the students and teachers continue to make.

During the 2021-2022 term we had our very first class of ninth graders. Ninth grade is an important educational milestone in Haiti and requires students to pass a national exam to earn a certificate of completion and advance to secondary school. These national exams are administered by the Haitian MENFP and require students to demonstrate proficiency in communication, language, math, science, and social sciences. These rigorous exams require travel to a national testing site for three days of testing.

Our 2021-2022 class had the distinction of being the first group of students from this area to participate in the national exams in almost forty years. The 2022-2023 class consisted of twelve students and distinguished themselves by achieving a 100% pass rate on the exams. Our 2023-2024 class (pictured above) was significantly larger and consisted of twenty-two students. On July 22, 2024, these students traveled to the testing site, accompanied once again by our amazing school cook Daniella (and produce and rice from the community garden). The exam results were released this week and we are incredibly proud and pleased to report that all twenty-two students earned a passing grade on the national exams for ninth graders.

This 100% pass rate for the second year in a row (!) and with our largest class yet (!) is concrete evidence that our investment in building a “Center of Excellence in Education” in rural Haiti is paying off in amazing and exciting ways. What an incredible achievement during such a difficult time! This is definitely something worth recognizing and celebrating.

We rely on the generosity of donors to help support our teachers and students, and we hope that despite so many challenges in Haiti you will not give up on helping us to provide the priceless gift of quality education. With your help, we are investing in and supporting the next generation of Haitian community members and leaders. This is the future of Haiti. Congratulations to our school staff and students for all of their hard work and sacrifices, and thank you to all who made this extraordinary achievement possible!