Celebrating the Return to School!

Play the “Celebrating the Return to School” Video. Please note that the video has no sound.

The video above shows a portion of the dedication of the new roof at St. Jean Evangelique School. The sign is in English because your donations paid for the labor and materials to allow these children to return to school after 8 weeks. The School wanted to say THANK YOU for all you have done for them.

Before Hurricane Matthew roared thru Sassier and Jeremie, St. Jean Evangelique provided the Gift of Education to more than 400 students from Preschool to 9th Grade. Many of these children come from very poor households; their parents struggle to send them to school. For Haitian parents, education is the key to providing their children with a chance at a better life.

Children were particularly affected by the Hurricane. Their homes were devastated and their meager belongings destroyed. Many worried that each new thunderstorm meant that “Matthew was coming back.” School provides a secure and safe space for children. Going to school again provides a bit of normalcy for these young lives.

Oganizasyon Zanmi Grandans (OZG) is our local Haitian partner that rebuilt the roofs, allowing school to begin again at St. Jean yesterday (November 28). OZG is making repairs to other schools, including the Parish Schools in Sassier. Progress has been slow, due to four weeks of daily rains. Fortunately, skies have cleared over the past few days, so the pace of work should pickup. OZG is also building a large new school for Holy Family Parish, funded by donors from Germany. Without OZS, we would not have been able to respond so quickly to the needs in Sassier and nearby locations.

Celebrate with the children and teachers of St Jean and know that your donations have made a huge difference in their lives. They, and we, are very grateful.