Stichting Projecthulp Haïti

Mei 2008

Onderwijs is de basis om een goede toekomst te kunnen opbouwen In de bergen van Kenscoff een plaatsje boven Port au Prince is men bezig met een Christelijke school. Zowel onder, midden en bovenbouw als voortgezet onderwijs. Ik heb dit schooltje in februari 2008 mogen bezoeken.
Een geweldige school.
Maar zoals je op de foto's ziet in de accommodatie nog niet 'optimaal' zelfs voor Haitiaanse begrippen. Men is bezig een nieuwe school te bouwen (stukje bij beetje) Grote behoefte heeft men aan schoolbanken.
We hebben een paar banken gemaakt in onze fabriek maxima zie www.maximasa.com. Het hout is erg duur, dat moet geïmporteerd worden (In Haïti is bijna geen hout meer, door illegale houtkamp wordt nu ongeveer 7 voetbalvelden per dag gekapt (voor het maken van houtskool) met alle gevolgen van dien). Een schoolbank kost ongeveer 50 US Dollar. De school heeft minimaal 50 banken nodig, dus wil ik een actie starten;
Scholen voor schoolbanken

Bij vragen mail me of bel me op 0598 614814 Piet Dijkhuizen piet.dijkhuizen@tiscali.nl www.projecthulp.nl

Achtergrond schooltje Thomassin

Here is a little background about our school called Garden of Joy. It was originally started by Pastor Baptiste to help the church community that could not send their children to school. In 1994 there were 12 children and a couple of volunteer teachers. At this time the pastor and I were talking about having a "model" school for children in the district. The Lord blessed and in 1998 Harvest International came to close a school in the area. However, they had some sponsored children that needed a place to go to school. Danny from Harvest met with me and I set up a budget to feed about 80 children including the Harvest children. From here we developed a sponsorship program that now has approximatley 170 children. Our first graduates from the program graduated in the spring of 2007. Merilus Desir had been on the program from the beginning-before I became involved.
The school now has about 400 children.We go from kindergarten for three years old to grade nine. We are hoping to add grade ten next year. All the preschool teachers are certified. In the elementary section all the teachers have their grade 13 and some training.
All high school teachers are certified. High school teachers are specialized and move about from school to school in the area. For example the teacher would specialize in Math and that is all he would teach.
We meet from 7:50 to 2:00. We start the day outside having lined up all the students by class. Then a psalm is recited or taught, prayer is said and the national anthem and the flag raising is done before they enter the school class by class. A hot full protien meal is served at 12 noon. Some teachers stay after classes are dismissed to give tutoring. There is also an adult literacy program after school for the adults of the church. Being a Christian school we teach Bible in every class and have a chapel service every Friday morning. The older children prepare the service including getting a speaker. A child evangelist will be visiting in the next couple of weeks. The academic program follows the government requirements with government exams written at the end of grade six, grade nine and then in both grade twelve and thirteen.
If you don't pass these exams you can not go on. In Haiti children often start school late and so they can be in their mid twenties and still be in school.

What does sponsorship do for the children? The money sent is used to pay all school fees, it gives a uniform measured and sewed for each child, and we feed three times a week at this point. We were feeding breakfast and lunch everyday. BUT as you can imagine with the prices the way they are now we are only able to feed three times a week. The students get financial help with their books. They can purchase them for half price. We do help with medical emergencies. For example we have a child who has juvenile rhuematoid arthritis, an enlarged heart and she also has sicle cell anemia. The program pays for her medical check-ups twice a year.

The administration is in the process of building. Two years ago they built three rooms and an office. Now they have a cistern built and have started on four other rooms. The goal is to move the school from the church to the school in the fall. That is a huge step in faith. They have never come to ask me to give personal money. I have tried many ways to get financial help but have not succeeded. Maybe I just don't know the right groups. I have asked around but nothing so far. Two years ago a dutch organization (Projecthulp Haïti) built some benches for us as we had rooms and nothing to sit on. The gentleman who headed that up was in two weeks ago (Piet Dijkhuizen in februari 2008) and he is interested in helping with benches again.
I am a teacher by profession and am working full time this year. Normally I work half time and then work at Garden of Joy doing whatever is needed. But this year Quisqueya Christian School didn't have a grade six teacher so I am trying to do two jobs. I am behind in everything but the school is running well.
I can tell you that 100% of these children would not be in school if it wasn't for the generosity of the sponsors. Feeding the children, teachers and workers really helps in their health, attention to lessons and energy level. Many children come to school not having had anything to eat because parents don't have anything to give them. Eating at school allows other children at home to have a meal. Some of these children eat only at the school. Maybe some cereal at home in the evening. The worse times of the year is the dry seasons as there is little water and the fresh food is very expensive. We have seen children come into the school with red hair from lack on nutrition but by the end of the year have healthy hair and wonderful smiles. Some of these children come to school so uninterested and shy and after a few months they are bouncy and laughing.

Ann Farquharson

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