Can you imagine raising your children in a world without books? without libraries? Our children are surrounded by books from the time they are only months old. We take books and the ability to read for granted.
Yet that is not the reality in Sassier. More than half the adults cannot even write their name. Most of the rest have only a 3rd or 4th grade education. Most homes have no books. Parents don’t read to their children because they can’t.
The children of Sassier are beginning to live in a different world. In just 8 years, the Parish School has expanded from 200 students in K through 4th Grade to 850 students in Preschool through 12th Grade. Now, all the children have schoolbooks and everyone gets a hot lunch every school day. Sacred Heart has played a big part in this incredible transformation.
Since the school population has grown so quickly, there has never been an empty space to develop a library. Every available space has been used for classroom space. Now, a second school building is approaching completion. Finally, there will be enough room for libraries.
The Sacred Heart Parish School and Religious Education students collected funds this Lent to buy books in French and Haitian Creole so that libraries can be created in both the primary and secondary school buildings in the next school year. If you have books in French or know someone who would be interested in donating French books for the libraries, please let us know. Unfortunately, textbooks designed to teach French to English speakers are not helpful.
Thanks to the Sacred Heart Students for their great efforts on behalf of their friends in Sassier!