Haiti - Sisters of St. Joseph of Boston

le dessein de Dieu:
tisser un charisme de communion
dans notre monde
God’s Design:
Weaving a Charism of Communion
in the Global Neighborhood
El proyecto de Dio:
Tejiendo un carisma de
Comunión en el barrio global
History
The people of Haiti have a history that is
dominated by oppressive exploitation. In the
1700s, Haiti was the hub of the slave trade. A
slave rebellion led to a declaration of Haiti’s
independence in 1804. However, France
demanded a payment of 150 million francs.
Between this debt and other demands to
compensate colonialists for the slaves that were
lost through independence, Haiti was saddled
with enormous, unpayable debts from its very
beginning. After Haiti fell behind on payments to
France, it refinanced its debts through U.S.
banks. When the U.S. occupied Haiti, from 1915
to 1934, one of its primary goals was to ensure
debt collection.
On January 12, 2010, a devastating earthquake
struck Port-au-Prince, Haiti. 300,000 were killed
and an additional one million were displaced as a
result of the earthquake. Prior to the earthquake,
Haiti was the poorest country in the Americas,
with more than half of its citizens living on less
than one U.S. dollar per day. The earthquake
exacerbated this desperate situation.
Thousands were driven from their homes and
forced to live in tents located in fields and on
sidewalks. Many of these families continue to live
without clean water, proper sanitation, or
adequate nutrition.
The 2010 Haiti earthquake was a
catastrophic magnitude 7.0 M
earthquake with an epicenter near the
town of Leogane, approximately 25
kilometers (16 mi) west of Port au
Prince, Haiti capital. The earthquake
occurred at 16:53 local time on
Tuesday, 12 January 2010. The Haitian
city of Leogane was almost completely
destroyed as a result of the earthquake
on January 12th 2010. Estimations
show 90% of the city was reduced to
rubble.
The numbers of missing and dead
were left to mere speculation. People
had to live in the streets using torn
down roofing tin as make-shift shelters.
Those that could afford the treatment
were flown via helicopter to the
Dominican Republic but only a handful
of individuals could afford this luxury.
Leogane is now slowly rebuilding.
Earthquake- January 10, 2010
Following the earthquake that devastated Haiti in
January 2010, the Sisters of St. Joseph in the United
States and Canada partnered with Mission Haiti and
pledged to help re-build the island and lives of its people
by investing in the education of Haiti’s most vulnerable
citizens – its girls.
The Sisters of St. Joseph in North America have pledged
more than $325,000.00 over 10 years in order to:
• support the education of 10 Haitian girls from primary
through secondary school at schools run by the Sisters
of the Company of Jesus in Leogane;
• provide three years of technical education for 10 girls;
• assist in the salaries for and certification of teachers;
and
• provide partial financial assistance for building a
secondary school in Leogane.
Haiti Proposal
Rebuilding Haiti
Through the Empowerment of Girls
A Collaborative Project of
The Canadian Federation of Sisters of St. Joseph
U.S. Federation of Sisters of St. Joseph
Annunciation School
Leogane, Haiti
Situation in Haiti
Most parents in Haiti do have
the means to pay private
tuitions, yet they understand
the value of education and
realize it is likely the best and
only way out of poverty for
their children.
Many of the families earn less
in a year than the cost of the
tuition.
Yet they make tremendous
sacrifices to send their
children to school. They go
without meals, work at
whatever jobs they can find,
live in meager conditions to
save money. Even with these
sacrifices, they might not be
able to afford the 13
consecutive years of
schooling necessary for a high
school diploma in Haiti.
EDUCATION OF
GIRLS
 Only about 5% of the children who start school will be able to finish.
 Half of children do not attend primary school, majority of those are girls.
 Education of girls is a key factor to bringing about social
transformation.
 An educated girl is less at risk, less vulnerable to abuse
in all its forms.
Goal 1: To financially support the education of 10 girls through elementary and secondary school.
Meet the children we are committed to educate.
These are nine of the ten girls who are presently in second grade. (School year 2013-14)
They are bright, beautiful and full of energy. Their names are:
Taila, Sorina, Rose, Kemberlie, Laurie, Princesse, Sheidna, Geraldine, Rose , and Ferlanda
Their teacher’s name is Erline.
Public education is not available for everyone in Haiti, and so, in 1998, the Annunciation community
responded to the need in Leogane and built a school. Annunciation School was begun for poor and
uneducated children of the area. Annunciation School in Leogane consists of grades one to six in
eight classrooms, and a kitchen, lunch/all-purpose room, and restrooms for 180 students.
Girls at Annunciation School in Haiti
The children receive a uniform and all school supplies. English was taught in all grades.
Many improvements have been made to the school since the start. Hundreds of books have been
purchased and donated in order to expand the library and the school now has two laptop computers.
During the 2010 earthquake, the lunch/all-purpose room was damaged beyond repair
and a new one was completed the following year.
This is the rebuilt kitchen where the meals are prepared for the children.
The students receive one meal a day at school.
Often this is their only meal.
50-60 students are enrolled in this seventh grade classroom.
Goal 2: to provide funding for the on-going training and education of teachers.
Education levels in Haiti are low. Haiti’s literacy rate of about 53% (55% for males and 51% for females) is
below the 90% average literacy rate for Latin American and Caribbean countries. The country faces
shortages in educational supplies and qualified teachers and its rural population remains
underrepresented in many of the country’s school classrooms. The 2010 earthquake
exacerbated the already constraining factors on Haiti's educational system. Half of Haiti’s teachers have
only a 9th grade education.
Education and support of teachers…leads to a better education for children. Meet the faculty at
Annunciation School. The faculty (seen above) consists of six teachers, an aide, and a part-time English
and Physical Education teacher. In addition, a tutor is available every day after school.
Sister Alta, Principal of Annunciation School, with Jack Pelner of Mission Haiti
The Sisters of the Companions of Jesus manage the school on our behalf. Mission Haiti Inc.
assumes responsibility for the maintenance and finance of the school.
Sr. Jean – Principal and Sister Idoline – Director of College Coeur de Marie.
This is the new office. Previously, a temporary structure had been set up as an office.
The door on the far right will be a computer lab/library.
Rebuilding process: this shows the land after the earthquake and now on which the secondary
school is being rebuilt.
College Coeur de Marie
Secondary School
Goal 3: To provide partial funding for
building of a secondary school.
College Coeur de Marie/Heart of Mary
Secondary School is presently in process of
rebuilding.
The earthquake completely destroyed another
school in Leogane, and when over 200
secondary students showed up at Annunciation,
the Sisters of the Companions of Jesus opened
their doors with welcoming arms. Not quite sure
how, Mission Haiti Inc. jumped on board to help.
Mission Haiti applied for and received grants
from the Congregation of St. Joseph, Generous
Promise Grant Fund. With the support of the
Sisters of St. Joseph, funds for teachers,
supplies, food, and administration was able to be
provided for the students.
GOAL: To provide partial funding for building of secondary School
College Coeur de Marie / Heart of Mary Secondary School is in the process of rebuilding. Even in the
rebuilding the students attend school.
Students in 9th grade.
Note from Sister Susan who visited Leogane in June, 2013
“This is Dieunis (taking his final exam to graduate). He lives at Bethleem Farm and has lived there
since he was 4 or 5. Mission Haiti Inc. gave him a scholarship this year to attend the University of
Notre Dame in Les Cayes. He is studying agronomy. When I was there in June, it was finals. They
had half the kids attending school per day to help with finals. This way the kids could spread out
within the classroom. Typically they are sitting very closely to one another. Finals are very stressful.
Students in Haiti must pass all their final exams in order to advance to the next grade. The students
received a very good meal that day.”
High School students preparing for final exams. This picture shows the teachers reviewing material and
working with students to help them prepare for the final exams last June. They really do a nice job with the
students. They made a lot of nice accommodations to help the students be successful and to ease their stress
that week.
le dessein de Dieu:
tisser un charisme de communion
dans notre monde
God’s Design:
Weaving a Charism of Communion
in the Global Neighborhood
El proyecto de Dio:
Tejiendo un carisma de
Comunión en el barrio global
Presentation courtesy of
Sisters of St. Joseph of Baden