Haiti 2 Years Later
Salesian Missions report on progress in Haiti 2010–2012
January 12, 2012
Haiti In the initial aftermath of the devastating earthquake that struck Haiti on Jan. 12, 2010, the Salesians were instrumental in emergency response and relief efforts. An integral part of the infrastructure in Haiti prior to the earthquake, they were among the first responders—providing shelter and medical aid; means to securely transport, store and distribute relief supplies and clean drinking water; and, perhaps most importantly, an understanding of how to get things done in Haiti. Having served Haiti for 75 years, the Salesians were not outsiders rushing in to help—they were already beloved members of the community. Many of the challenges facing the people (especially the youth) of Haiti, existed long before the disaster struck. Many were homeless. Children were hungry. Conditions were crowded. Water was in short supply. The earthquake added to the misery of thousands, including children who, despite the desperate circumstances, found their way to schools each and every day, with a hunger for knowledge that outweighed the hunger in their stomachs. These schools are some of the many Salesian-run institutions in Port-au-Prince and around the country. In some cases, students even call the schools home. In addition to elementary schools, secondary schools, vocational training institutes and colleges, the Salesians provide shelter for homeless youth and programs for street children. At every program serving youth in Haiti, students not only receive educational opportunities and the support of caring adults, they also receive a nutritious meal daily. One Salesian kitchen in Cité Soleil alone baked 20,000 rolls of bread a day to feed hungry children in the most impoverished area of the nation’s capital. Salesian Missions, the U.S. development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco, had been working for years to bring attention to the plight of the Haitian people, and so many others in the world. Almost exactly a year prior to the tragedy, Salesian Missions sent a team to Haiti to document the programs and the immense need for assistance.
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Before, Then, Now & Beyond
The videos, photos and information conveyed the Salesians’ dedication to helping people in need around the globe. In Haiti, they were truly making a difference under the most challenging of circumstances. Nothing could have prepared the Salesians—or the Haitian people— for the massive devastation and heartbreaking loss that occurred on Jan. 12, 2010. The world was finally paying attention to Haiti. Soon after the earthquake struck, the Salesians pledged to continue working long after the cameras and reporters were gone (the latter, unfortunately, left sooner than anyone could have envisioned). The Salesians remained working in Haiti, not just long after the press, but in many cases long after other humanitarian organizations. While other organizations are set up to come in and help with a disaster (and then inevitably leave), the Salesians have been and will continue to be an integral part of the infrastructure in Haiti and in so many other needy places around the globe. As the lights on Haiti dimmed, the Salesians shifted from disaster mode to recovery and rebuilding mode—quietly, without attention, as they always have done. It has been two years since the earthquake struck, and much still needs to be accomplished. But progress is steady, and the Salesians are proud to report on the specifics of their accomplishments.
“ The rebuilding process is one of amazing determination, outstanding progress and great hope. We are deeply grateful for the kind and generous support that so many of our caring friends have demonstrated.” Father Mark Hyde, S.D.B. Executive Director, SALESIAN MISSIONS
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in Haiti The Salesian Missions Office for International Programs, located in New Rochelle, NY, was assigned the task of coordinating international Salesian relief efforts immediately after the earthquake.
supplies, water purification plants, water purification tablets, 1,600 schools in a box, 10 industrial generators, and forklifts—were shipped, as well as two school buses and nearly 2,000 tents. To ensure the most effective use of supplies, Salesian Missions evaluated the situation at each of its sites to match needs with available resources.
In the aftermath of Haiti’s earthquake, Salesian Missions provided disaster relief to victims—many of them their own students and teachers. Early efforts focused on the basic human needs of food, water, medical supplies, survival kits and tents for shelter. Thousands of refugees were housed within the confines of those facilities which were not destroyed, and thousands more were provided food.
To date, approximately $2.5 million in funds have been utilized by Salesian Missions on relief efforts for the Haitian people, along with additional in-kind donations. More than 23,000 students and 1,200 teachers have returned to classes at 10 Salesian Missions educational works.
In the following months, 59 containers of relief supplies—including food, water, clothing, medical supplies, computers, personal hygiene
Today the efforts are focused on rebuilding the country with the promise of its youth.
Salesian Missions is fully committed to rebuilding its educational infrastructure in Haiti. Since 1935, Salesians have worked to educate Haiti’s most vulnerable youth and trained the best and brightest to become leaders and beacons of hope in Haiti’s future.
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Signs of Progress at a Glance Two years since a catastrophic earthquake decimated Haiti, the rebuilding process is one of amazing determination, outstanding progress and great hope. We are deeply grateful for the incredibly kind and generous support that so many of our caring friends have demonstrated. We are proud to share our accomplishments so far, which include: • Temporary classrooms were provided soon after the earthquake, allowing children to return to school and have some sense of normalcy. Permanent classrooms continue to be built. The Salesians are fully committed to rebuilding their educational infrastructure. • “Le Petites Écoles du Pere Bohnen”—the Little Schools of Father Bohnen—are back in operation and last year provided more than 21,000 children with nutritious meals and a valuable education. • In Salesian schools throughout Haiti, more than 1,200 teachers have been hired since the earthquake—most of them trained at Salesian institutions.
• A Salesian partnership with local doctors and nurses ensured that victims of a Cholera outbreak were identified and received proper treatment. In addition, their widespread education program promoted healthy living habits that prevented the disease from spreading. • The Timkatec 2 School was expanded with a new wing added. It boasted a record 71 graduates, with an enrollment that has grown from 430 students before the earthquake to more than 600 this year. • The Salesians completed construction of a warehouse that meets new safety requirements and building standards, serving as a model for new construction in Haiti. The warehouse provides important infrastructure allowing for the safe and efficient distribution of food and supplies. • The Salesians also opened the Timkatec 3 Girls School to provide an education for 186 day students and an overnight shelter for 40 children. • Impressed by Salesian accomplishments, the Clinton Bush Haiti Fund partnered with the Salesians to provide vocational training in construction trades and marketable skills to 420 men and women. The Clinton Bush Haiti Fund has also pledged up to $225,000 for the purchase of heavy machinery, tools and equipment. This will enable vocational students at the Salesian National School of Arts and Trades to have sustainable self-employment and to help rebuild their country. • St. Paul Chapel in Port-au-Prince was renewed thanks to the thoughtfulness and generosity of Blessed Sacrament Church in Pennsylvania. Upon learning that their church would be closed due to consolidation, the Blessed Sacrament parishioners packed and shipped all the church furnishings to the Salesian chapel in Haiti.
While much progress has been made, life in Haiti is far from normal and help is still needed. Those interested in helping should visit www.SalesianMissions.org and select “Haiti Recovery Fund” on the Donate Now page.
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National School of Arts & Trade Before
This model of educational excellence provided hundreds of Haitian youth the opportunity to broaden their cultural awareness and gain valuable trade skills.
After
The campus was completely leveled and the loss of life was enormous. More than 250 unsuspecting students, numerous teachers and three Salesians were killed. All of the machines, tools and equipment were either destroyed or stolen.
Today
The school is back in operation, utilizing temporary classrooms built by the students themselves as part of their training. Vocational students also built desks and tailored uniforms to replace those destroyed. The Clinton Bush Haiti Fund has pledged up to $250,000 to equip graduates with machines, tools and equipment to help rebuild their country.
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Lakay House for Street Children Before
This center provided shelter, education and food to hundreds of street children with nowhere else to turn.
After
The facility was completely destroyed, leaving the children without shelter.
Today
Lakay is back in operation and home to nearly 150 former street children and feeds more than 600 youth every day.
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Le Petites Écoles (The Little Schools) of Father Bohnen
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Before
Through the Little Schools, the Salesians provided food and education to more than 20,000 children each day in Cité Soleil, the poorest slum of Port-au-Prince. In addition to classrooms at their compound, makeshift schools were created where needed.
After
Every building at the Salesian compound collapsed, which included the headquarters for indispensable programs like the Little Schools.
Today
The Little Schools have been resurrected in temporary buildings and served more than 21,000 students in the past year.
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The Earthquake Aftermath
The Thorland Centre partially collapsed.
The Salesians worked to provide assistance in the temporary camps that were set up as more than 12,000 flocked to Salesian facilities seeking assistance.
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The Earthquake Aftermath
The PétionVille School received serious damage.
The Cité Soleil Mission complex was completely destroyed, including kitchens that fed 25,000 of the city’s poorest children daily.
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The Earthquake Aftermath
Immediately after the earthquake, the Salesians worked closely with Haitian and Dominican Republic military to securely deliver aid, including truckloads of food, water sanitation kits, and medical supplies.
The Salesians in Thorland and PĂŠtion-Ville cared for 3,000 refugees who lost everything.
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More Signs of Hope
PÊtion-Ville’s Dominique Savio Elementary School is providing an education to 870 children from ages 6 to 12. In addition, 540 boys and girls attend Dominique Savio College.
In Cayes, 200 boys and girls are receiving valuable training in carpentry, masonry, mechanics, cooking, sewing and home decoration at the Salesianrun Diocesan Center for Arts and Crafts.
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More Signs of Hope The Cap-Haïtien Agricultural Technical School has 140 students learning effective farming techniques, while an additional 200 youth are attending the Vocational Training School.
At the Salesian Immaculate Conception Church in Cité Soleil, youth are taking part in music and dance classes. They are learning to play the guitar, piano and drums—and enjoying the therapeutic benefits of music, helping them to better cope with the disaster they survived.
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More Signs of Hope
In Fort-Liberté, more than 170 children—more than half girls—are receiving a basic education and approximately 160 young women are pursuing degrees at the School of Nursing.
In Salesian schools throughout Haiti, more than 1,200 teachers have been hired since the earthquake—most of them trained at Salesian institutions.
While much progress has been made, life in Haiti is far from normal. Help is still needed to serve the children and families still trying recover from the disaster. Please visit
SalesianMissions.org and select “Haiti Recovery Fund” on the Donate Now page.
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Humanitarian Agency Partnerships Key to Delivering Aid in Post-Quake Haiti
(MissionNewswire) On Jan. 12, 2010, humanitarian organizations with works in Haiti held their breath as the news started to come in. “It was almost eerie calm,” says Abby Theobald, food relief coordinator, with Feed My Starving Children. “Along with the whole world, we watched with disbelief as we heard what was happening to our neighbors in Haiti.” Theobald and her colleagues—and so many other humanitarian workers like them around the United States—waited for word from their colleagues and partners in Haiti. When the news started to come in, fears were more than confirmed. The earthquake was worse than anyone could have imagined. “In those early days we knew there was great deal of chaos and suffering,” says Theobald. “But our colleagues and partners in Haiti knew they would be there for the long recovery. Regardless of the overwhelming circumstances, they were committed to providing both the necessary resources and hope to those in need.” As they held their breath for more news of unspeakable tragedy, there was only one thing they could do. They had to keep working— their mission in the very poor country just became a lot more difficult and complicated. However, there was some good news. Since Feed My Starving Children—and its partners like Salesian Missions—were already working in Haiti long before the earthquake, they were in a good position to respond quickly and effectively. “Because our partnership with Salesian Missions had been established for quite some time, the logistical process for procuring food aid was easily put into motion,” says Theobald. “In addition, our trust Photo courtesy of Feed My Starving Children
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Humanitarian Agency Partnerships (cont’d.) in Salesian Missions’ capability to critically assess the situation with their in-country beneficiaries and effectively distribute food aid in Haiti made for a quick response.” Collaborative partnerships such as this one, along with embedded programs in Haiti, were essential in the early days of disaster aid and the many months since the earthquake a year ago. According to Feed My Starving Children, its Haiti distribution partners are serving one-third more people due to the earthquake— both children and adults. They have not seen their need decrease, and they expect this higher level of need for some time. The Minnesota-based nonprofit provided nearly 58 million meals to Haiti in 2010. “Feed My Starving Children’s ability to reach those in greatest need is made possible by working with caring and capable ministries like Salesian Missions— whether in Haiti or in other countries we serve around the globe,” says Matt Muraski, global operations director for Feed My Starving Children. While some humanitarian organizations and many people have left the country, Salesian Missions will continue its work for the people of Haiti as it has since 1935, says Jaime Correa-Montalvo, director of the Salesian Missions Office for International Programs.
Through this partner effort, four total containers of food were sent to Haiti after the earthquake, according to Jessica O’Connor, Salesian Missions property and logistics officer. Each container contained 270,864 meals. The earthquake caused the port in Port-au-Prince to be closed, adding to the challenge in the delivery of relief supplies. Salesian Missions operates in more than 130 countries around the globe. Luckily, one of those countries was the Dominican Republic. They were able to ship supplies to a Salesian Missions warehouse there, where they were safely secured and repackaged with other relief items to make survival packages for families. Then, the Salesians (escorted by the Dominican Army) delivered the relief packages to Salesian facilities in Haiti for distribution to needy families.
Our trust in Salesian Missions’ capability to critically assess the situation with their in-country beneficiaries and effectively distribute food aid in Haiti made for a quick response.
“Their consistent presence and commitment to the people of Haiti allows Feed My Starving Children food to be used most effectively as well as leveraged for the improvement of other necessary programs which are focused beyond relief efforts and rather on the rebuilding of lives,” adds Theobald.
ABOUT THE FEED MY STARVING CHILDREN / SALESIAN MISSIONS PARTNERSHIP:
The partnership began in early 2006 when the first 40-foot container was donated to and shipped by Salesian Missions to Sri Lanka. “Salesian Missions is an integral part of the Through the years, as Salesian Missions has Haitian infrastructure—operating schools, determined beneficiaries in need of Feed My feeding programs and health clinics in the Starving Children food, almost 60 containers poorest areas. Many of the food and other of more than 15 million meals to more than 20 relief items sent to Haiti were secured, — Abby Theobald, different countries have been donated, shipped, stored and distributed using Salesian Feed My Starving Children and received by those in need. The Salesians infrastructure and knowledge.” were providing Feed My Starving Children food to OPEPB, a school in Port-Au-Prince, prior to the earthquake. When Salesian Missions has a partnership with Feed My Starving Children the earthquake hit, Salesian Missions, along with many other Feed whereby 40-foot containers of fortified rice meals are shipped My Starving Children partners, were ready to respond. to Salesian sites around the world. Feed My Starving Children provides the food and Salesian Missions takes care of the costs and This article was originally published Dec. 15, 2011, on ProgressInHaiti.org arrangements of shipping each container from the Feed My Starving Children warehouse to the destination country. Salesian Missions also works to help identify where greatest need is at the time.
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From Homelessness to Hope in Haiti: Salesian School Provides Trade Skills to Rebuild a Country (MissionNewswire) As Haiti continues to rebuild nearly two years after the devastating earthquake, efforts are underway to meet the growing and changing needs of reconstruction by training students in programs specifically designed to meet the most critical labor needs in the country. In September 2011, a record 71 students graduated from the Salesian Timkatec 2 trade school in Pétion-Ville, just outside of Port au Prince. There, the students received a vocational education preparing to rebuild their country while developing the skills to be self sufficient. The majority of students trained as masons, builders, electricians and plumbers while others trained to be tailors and shoemakers. Many Salesian alumni, who were once young, homeless children taken in by the Salesians, will now play an important role in the reconstruction process in post-quake Haiti. “We are adjusting the training curriculums to increase constructionrelated jobs while also increasing the tailoring courses since clothing production has been an important industry that provideds good job opportunities,” says Father Joseph Simon, Timkatec founder.
“We must make finding students jobs as great a priority as their actual training and education,” explains Fr. Simon, noting that purchasing the tools needed to begin work would prevent many of the students from working in their fields. “We are constantly looking for ways to improve job opportunities for youth,” adds Fr. Hyde. “Whether it is through existing programs, helping graduates overcome obstacles to enter the workforce, or researching the needs of the marketplace.” Salesian Missions is currently undertaking an in-depth study of the employment situation in Haiti to better understand the needs of the marketplace and determine what opportunities are available to students. “With this study, we’ll ensure that the training in our various centers across Haiti puts graduates to work in the areas where they are needed most,” says Fr. Hyde. “We’ll use the results to develop an effective, country-wide training plan.”
According to a Reuters news report, the clothing sector accounted for about 75 percent of Haiti’s exports and employed more than 25,000 Haitians before the earthquake.
Plans are already underway to expand Timkatec, which includes the trade school and also a girls’ school (to be called Timkatec 3) for 186 day students and an overnight shelter for 40 children. The trade school area will expand by more than 50 percent in 2012 adding 40 students to the current 190 students. The girls’ school area will also expand by more than 50 percent in 2012 to serve an additional 50 girls.
“Every single one of these graduates has the same goal—to make Haiti a better country,” says Father Mark Hyde, executive director of Salesian Missions, the U.S. arm of the global Salesians of Don Bosco. “We know that the future of Haiti lies with its youth, and these graduates are ready to get started.”
Overall, Timkatec has grown since the January, 2010 earthquake. Prior to the earthquake, the student population was 430. Directly following the earthquake, the student population dropped to 320, but grew to 505 last year. For the 2011–2012 school year, more than 600 students are expected.
To help graduates make the transition to full-time employment, the school is planning to equip each trade school graduate with a set of tools necessary to begin work in their chosen trade. Efforts are currently underway to raise the $16,000 needed to provide each trade school graduate with a $225 tool kit required to begin work.
Fr. Simon, a Salesian priest, started Timkatec (“timoun k’ap teke chans” meaning “children who try their luck to survive”) more than 10 years ago—opening its doors to homeless children long before the 2010 earthquake.
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This article was originally published Sept. 13, 2011, on ProgressInHaiti.org
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“Little Schools” Make a Big Difference in Haiti (MissionNewswire) There is an old Haitian saying, “An empty stomach has no ears.”
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to adapt to the new circumstances, which, as one can imagine, are far from ideal.
More than 2,000 elementary students and 937 vocational students are living examples of this adage in Port-au-Prince at the Little Schools of Father Bohnen, “Oeuvre des Petites Ecoles de Père Bohnen” or OPEPB in French.
“Our classrooms may be cramped and we may be lacking materials, but our students feel pride and accomplishment as they participate in the rebuilding of the school. They are learning by doing—and by sharing the resources that are available,” explains Fr. Zucchi.
These students are eagerly returning to the schools, which not only provide an education, but also a nutritious meal to poor youth in Cité Soleil and La Saline. The Little Schools fight hunger and feed eager minds and spirits.
The Little Schools are located on the National Academy of Arts (ENAM) campus, where nearly every building collapsed. At the time of the quake, classes were still in session and just minutes away from dismissal, when 35 seconds of shaking began. Hundreds of students were killed—many studying to become teachers.
“Children cannot learn if they are hungry. We are first meeting a basic need by providing what for many of the children is their only meal of the day. At the same time, we are providing long-term inspiration through education,” says Father Zucchi Ange Olibrice, executive director of the Little Schools. The work is critical, as according to UNICEF, more than half of Haiti’s children do not attend school. The pace of all school construction throughout the affected parts of Haiti has been slowed by rubble clearing and enduring issues of land tenure. However, the Salesians returned children to classrooms as soon as it was safe to do so. At first, the classrooms were under trees or makeshift tents—with progress shown by the steadily growing number of eager students in attendance. Currently at the Little Schools, children study in temporary classrooms built by Salesian vocational students. Before the quake, there were 132 schools in operation. Today, 60 of them have resumed activities—an amazing feat considering the devastation suffered at the schools and the trauma endured by the children and teachers. The resiliency of the Haitians and the Salesians is evident throughout the schools where inventive teachers and students are finding ways
Rebuilding ENAM is a priority, according to Salesian leaders in Rome. Plans have already been developed for a new campus with an estimated cost of $32 million. Since 1954, the Little Schools have provided an education and nutritious meals to children in poverty. Father Bohnen, a Dutch native, was assigned as Head of the St. John Bosco elementary school in La Saline, where he encouraged local school teachers to form “little schools” for the children. His goal was to teach the children how to read, a first step in educating them. He also invited the children attending these “little schools” to come to the St. John Bosco cafeteria where they would receive a hot lunch. He further supported these “little schools” by providing training and salary incentives for the teachers and a curriculum for all the schools. This initiative was so successful that it was extended to Cité Soleil, another slum of Port-Au-Prince, during the late 1960s and continues today reaching thousands of children and families. This article was originally published March 29, 2011, on ProgressInHaiti.org
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Opportunity Grows at Salesian Agricultural School in Haiti (MissionNewswire) Wide smiles break out on the faces of students crouching in the fields as they examine the crops. They know the vegetables they hold in their hands will provide their communities and country with a quality food source, as well as increase their opportunities to obtain meaningful skills to support their families.
On a national scale, greater support to agriculture is crucial to meet Haiti’s developmental goals and help it prepare for future emergencies, according to a statement released by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) about agriculture and food security in Haiti one year after the devastating earthquake.
Agriculture is a critical economic and social activity in Haiti. According to the World Bank, agriculture employs half of the national workforce (including 75 percent of low-income Haitians).
“Poor, vulnerable, agriculture-dependent communities suffer some of the most severe consequences of natural disasters,” says Etienne Peterschmitt, FAO’s senior emergency and rehabilitation coordinator for Haiti. “Agriculture has a critical role to play not only in eliminating hunger and malnutrition, but also in boosting rural incomes, reversing environmental degradation and increasing resilience to future threats.”
However, the earthquake on Jan. 12, 2010, devastated rural areas—as well as urban areas—destroying crops, farm buildings, equipment and infrastructure, says an Oxfam briefing paper on agriculture’s role in Haiti’s reconstruction. The report notes that 600,000 people migrated to the countryside, increasing pressure on an already stretched food supply and depleted resource base. This internal displacement worsened food availability, which affected six out of 10 people even before the disaster. The Salesian Agricultural School in Cap-Haïtien provides sought-after agricultural skills to more than 140 students who will contribute to the rebuilding of Haiti, says Edson Timana, Haiti relief and reconstruction program manager for Salesian Missions. “Haiti is a country with limited natural resources, and with most of its economy relying on agricultural production and employment, it’s important for the country to promote training in the agricultural sector,” says Timana, who recently visited the agricultural school. “Students were developing their already impressive agricultural skills that would later serve them when they went back to their family’s farm or if they decided to buy their own plot of land and start their own farms.”
In Cap-Haïtien, plans for the refurbishment of the Salesian agricultural facilities are in progress, according to Timana. There, he adds, students learn applied and adapted farming methodology to improve crop quantity and quality. The three-year program focuses on students from families with limited economic resources. Currently, the agriculture school serves 145 students—34 (23 percent) are women and 111 (77 percent) are male. There are also more than 1,000 students receiving primary and secondary education. Salesians currently operate more than 90 agricultural schools around the world. All of the agricultural programs are unique because they share a commonality—they all focus on the specific needs of each individual community. This article was originally published Jan. 31, 2011, on ProgressInHaiti.org
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Reading, Writing & Rebuilding a Country: Training Tomorrow’s Leaders in Haiti (MissionNewswire) Students are already contributing to the rebuilding of Haiti—even as they learn new skills to become the country’s future business people, teachers, construction workers and leaders. In Cité Soleil and La Saline, children are returning to classrooms in temporary shelters built by Salesian Missions’ own vocational students. The Little Schools of Father Bohnen—“Oeuvre des Petites Ecoles de Père Bohnen” or OPEPB in French—are in operation despite the fact that buildings were destroyed and some things are in short supply. The school has found ways to turn the circumstances into learning opportunities. “While we lack tools and equipment for the vocational school students to work with, we are involving them in various projects including construction, tailoring of school uniforms for the younger children, carpentry and painting, thereby encouraging them to contribute to the rebuilding of their school and their country,” says Father Zucchi Ange Olibrice, executive director of the Little Schools (OPEPB). According to Fr. Zucchi, approximately 20,000 students are expected to enroll before the end of the school year, as many families who moved to other towns after the earthquake are now returning to Port-au-Prince. Many of these students will be studying vocational trades as well as training to be teachers to help prepare future generations of leaders.
According to Fr. Zucchi, OPEPB is among the most progressive and the largest school program in Haiti, serving Port-au-Prince’s “best and brightest.” Prior to the earthquake, the school provided education from preschool to vocational training. Teacher training programs educated teachers to serve at the Little Schools and Early Learning Centers. At the time of the quake, hundreds of students were killed—many studying to become teachers. There were also three vocational schools that provided both academic and occupational instruction to 2,400 students in more than 16 careers, including automotive body repair, automotive mechanics, baking and pastry arts, carpentry, computer typography, culinary arts, electrical maintenance and construction, electronics, horticulture, jewelry design, leatherwork, masonry, plumbing, sewing, tailoring and welding. Before the earthquake Jan. 12, 2010, the school had added a business technology program to prepare students for entry-level office positions. “These classes were implemented to keep pace with the changing needs of the country. This work will continue as we rebuild,” says Fr. Zucchi, who noted that even before the earthquake there was a high demand for trained individuals and that their placement rate for business students was nearly 100 percent. At OPEPB, rebuilding has already begun on one of the elementary schools, with many of the workers being former students who learned valuable skills in construction. Walls are also being erected to secure the properties where other schools were situated. According to the United Nations Development Program, 80 percent of schools in Port-au-Prince and 60 percent in its South and West departments were destroyed or damaged. “Our goal is to rebuild all the schools in the near future. We hope to foster positive self image and citizens capable of contributing democratically to the betterment of their country,” says Fr. Zucchi. This article was originally published Jan. 11, 2011, on ProgressInHaiti.org
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Salesian University Network Creates Connection to Haiti’s Future
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(MissionNewswire) For university students in Haiti, access to technology is a way to stay connected to studies, social networks—and the opportunity to make a difference in their country’s future.
According to a Jan. 31, 2010, article in University World News, “general estimates suggest only 1 percent of Haitians between the ages of 18 to 24 enter tertiary education. That rate is the lowest in the hemisphere.”
Through the new Salesian University Network, hundreds of university students who have been unable to return to school following the Jan. 12, 2011, earthquake will have a chance to continue their education.
Installation of the computers is being coordinated by Edysson YvesAntoine Thanis, a former Salesian student.
Thirteen computer labs or cybercafés are being established to help students stay up-to-date in their studies. Students will also have the opportunity improve their skills in computer science and English and Spanish—which are valuable skills for any professional career in Haiti. Just as importantly, the Salesian University Network provides an important means for students to connect with other students and form healthy, supportive friendships. “Taking part in the Salesian University Network is an important step for these youth. Many of them are facing uncertain futures and connecting with each other will help them regain their self confidence. It’s not just a computer network, it is a network of relationships and communication established between students, their peers and the Salesian community,” says Fr. Mark Hyde, director, Salesian Missions. Students come from different backgrounds and have varied skills and levels of training. For some students, the Salesian University Network will offer an introduction to computer science and an opportunity to master the basic software. Students will also be able to conduct further research on their specific interest areas.
The computers will be installed at Salesian communities in 13 provincial towns, as well as the capital: Fort-Liberté, Ouanaminthe, Cap-Haïtien, Gonaïves, Hinche, Jacmel, Cayes, Fleuriot, Pétion-Ville, Cite Militaire, Cité Soleil, Thorland, and Gressier. The computers have been shipped to the locations and are in the process of being installed. Timana noted that in addition to computers, converters are being supplied to combat the vast electric fluctuations and constant blackouts in Haiti. The converters will ensure constant power through electricity, generators and a battery system. “We’re going to do everything we can to keep students connected,” says Timana. The students will be connected not only to their schools and the teachers and fellow students, but to all of the opportunities that education provides. This article was originally published Jan. 6, 2011, on ProgressInHaiti.org
“It is important for Haiti to promote the growth of its human capital,” says Edson Timana, Haiti relief and reconstruction help desk officer, Salesian Missions. “The Salesian projects are making a difference by strategically providing aid where it is most needed—with a focus on education. The ultimate goal is to make the investment in education so that these students can finish their studies and contribute to a better future for Haiti.”
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ABOUT SALESIAN MISSIONS Salesian Missions is headquartered in New Rochelle, NY, and is part of the Don Bosco Network—a worldwide federation of Salesian NGOs. The mission of the U.S.-based nonprofit Catholic organization is to raise funds for international programs that serve youth and families in poor communities around the globe. The Salesian missionaries are made up of priests, brothers and sisters, as well as laypeople—all dedicated to caring for poor children throughout the world in more than 130 countries, helping young people become self-sufficient by learning a trade that will help them gain employment. To date, more than 3 million youth have received services funded by Salesian Missions. These services and programs are provided to children regardless of race or religion. To date, more than 5 million Americans have contributed financially to this work. For more information, go to SalesianMissions.org. Salesian Missions is a is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. All donations are tax deductible. SALESIAN MISSIONS 2 Lefevre Lane New Rochelle NY 10801-5710 www.SalesianMissions.org 914-633-5710
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Salesian Missions has a distinguished history and highly-regarded worldwide reputation for effective programs and services that give children, families and communities a fighting chance to conquer poverty, despair and suffering. The work of our 34,000 Priests, Brothers and Sisters in more than 130 countries around the world would not be possible without the kindness and generosity of so many caring friends. We are strongly committed to assuring our stakeholders and benefactors that their donations are used wisely and for their intended purposes. We stretch every dollar for maximum impact and are proud to report that 82% of our total operating expenses go directly to programs and services that benefit those who rely on us for help. Your trust in our stewardship of your philanthropic contributions is paramount. You can depend on us to be accountable for our expenditures and can have confidence in our ability to invest in initiatives that produce tangible results. To keep the public informed, Salesian Missions launched ProgressInHaiti.org in January 2011, one year after the earthquake. The website is a special edition of MissionNewswire.org—the official news service of Salesian Missions. The purpose is to provide information and insight about programs and progress in Haiti related to Salesian efforts as well as that of partner organizations.
Haiti 2 Years Later
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