Objectives

Project Description

The tool of transformation and the sharing of knowledge constitute the fundamental element in developing society.  Unfortunately, in Haiti, access to good education by the majority of the population is extremely difficult.  Eighty-nine percent of all private schools which are the majority in Haiti are concentrated in the towns whereas 70% of the population lives in rural areas.  The state of the schools in rural areas over the past few years has become even worse due to the deteriorating economic conditions within the country.  The passage of Tropical Storm Jeanne on September 18, 2004 in the Northwest part of the country has only aggravated this dire situation.  This disaster has forced many schools in this area to close their doors because they were completely destroyed by the tropical storm.  Some schools were partially destroyed, but they lost all of their school materials (books, school benches, etc).  Not only this, but a large majority of the families in the area either lost their house and/or the livelihood (crop and animal production) and they do not have the monetary means to continue the education of their children.  In light of this situation, QIFD along with several community organizations in the affected areas (including KOPAGM of Gros Morne, and UJEDEB of Basin Bleu) feel the imperative necessity to put in place a program to help correct this anomaly and help put in place a sustainable education program for these three rural areas.

Goal of Project

The main goal of this project is to repair the community schools in the area (Gros Morne, Basin Bleu and Chansolme) that were affected by Tropical Storm Jeanne as well as to work with these schools to better the quality of the education provided to the children.  This means we will work extensively with the professors of the schools to give them additional training.

Implementation

Implementation

• Reparations of community schools that were either destroyed or damaged during the passage of Tropical Storm Jeanne.
• Provide training to the professors of the schools to increase their capacities to teach.
• Create small micro enterprise projects with each school so that they may have a sustainable income to defray the running costs of the school (professor’s salaries, school supplies, books, school canteen, etc.).
• To implement a training of trainers’ course for the targeted communities to train the professors, in designing and implementing community based disaster mitigation programs and projects with their students. The curriculum for the training will include: the fundamental concepts of community based disaster preparedness planning and skills needed for effective community based disaster management.

Beneficiaries

Aproximately 7,500 children that live in the communities of Gros Morne, Basin Bleu and Chansolme.