Our Projects: Haiti
EDUCATION ON THE GO
Haiti Outreach Pwoje Espwa (H.O.P.E.)Borgne region, Haiti
Also in Haiti, GO's ongoing
Relief & Reconstruction efforts »
GO Campaign is partnering with Haiti Outreach Pwoje Espwa (H.O.P.E.), an organization that provides children living in the northern Borgne region with access to health care and education. H.O.P.E. is asking the GO Community to support the Mobile Teacher Program (MTP) for three years that will bring educational opportunities to hundreds of children. The MTP will consist of three professionally trained teachers traveling to the most remote parts of Borgne at least twice a week, teaching children how to read, develop math and science skills and learn the history of Haiti. Three base camps will be set-up as magnets for all those interested in education and will serve as community classrooms and libraries.
The goals of this three-year program are to:
- Teach children how to read and write so they will have the skills to attend formal schools
- Encourage and motivate students to stay in school by assisting them with their homework and retention
- Increase Haiti's literacy rate and help break the cycle of poverty for those living in the Borgne region
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FEATURED BIOS
Three little girls, all sisters, were introduced by their mother. They were quite timid and instead of responding to questions, they just smiled shyly and pulled at their hair. The mother laughed at their shyness and as she rocked the youngest to sleep, she said that the older girls, ages eight and six, have not been able to attend school because the family couldn't afford the cost. She hoped that they will be able to begin school together next year.
When asked if they attended school, some children nodded yes, but most nodded no. When asked where their schools were in relation to their homes, their answers indicated that they most likely are unable to attend school every day. One child who lived far up in the mountains said he attended school "anbas," or "far down below". Another said it took "anpil tan, anpil mache," or "lots of time, lots of walking" to arrive at his school.
WHY HAITI
With the average family's yearly income around $350, most families cannot afford the annual school tuition, uniforms and books which costs about $50-$100 per student. In addition, schools are relatively scarce requiring children to walk long distances, often barefoot, arriving hungry and unprepared. These factors, along with crumbling and inadequate educational facilities and an extreme lack of qualified teachers, contribute to Haiti's 50% illiteracy rate with only 15% of youth attending secondary school.
The mountainous Borgne region is home to approximately 80,000 people and lacks the most basic infrastructures such as access to clean water, electricity, and sanitation systems. Mostly footpaths, not paved roads, link the 250 villages that are scattered throughout the region. The 114 schools scattered throughout the Borgne region (about 100 square miles) are very "bare bones", without supplies and often have dirt floors and leaky roofs. Many teachers lack professional training, have few educational resources and are seriously underpaid. H.O.P.E.'s Mobile Teacher Program has the ability to reach hundreds of children and make a real dent in the literacy rate in this region of Haiti.
