Haiti offers many questions and a few answers.
Why Haiti?
The 2010 Haitian earthquake was the greatest natural disaster in the history of the Western Hemisphere—as many as 250,000 lives were lost, a million were rendered homeless, and billions of dollars of property were destroyed. This compounded problems that already overwhelmed the poorest country with the highest illiteracy rate in the Western Hemisphere. Haiti’s conditions are a legacy of slavery and racism. American and European nations actively undermined Haiti following the only successful slave revolt that enabled Haiti to be the 2nd independent nation in the Western Hemisphere.
The government is corrupt and chiefly serves the interests of the elite, as evidenced by its failure to support its schools. The Haitian currency is in free-fall and inflation is rampant. Hunger is growing. Jobs are scarce. Too often, earthquakes and hurricanes visit destruction. A school provides hope for a better future. We cannot fix Haiti’s problems, many of which can be laid on our nation’s doorstep. We can plant seeds for a hopeful future by educating children.
Who owns the school?
The land is owned by our Haitian partner, MPP. MPP provides oversight of the school, budgets and final decisions. The school has been certified by the Ministry of Education and is now a national school. This means that certain governance of the school is accorded to the Ministry. Finally, the goal is for the community to have greater say in the school and eventually to control their own school. This goal seems distant at the moment since community governance will require government funding.
Who constructed the school and what is its design?
The school is built following a familiar design for rural schools in Haiti. It is poured concrete designed to survive earthquakes and hurricanes. In addition to classrooms and Director’s office, the school has a kitchen, dining hall, well, fence and two toilet buildings. The building has no electricity.
How can the school become sustainable?
The Haitian Constitution guarantees each child a free education. The Haitian Ministry of Education has set standards for schools and it only certifies schools after they meet those standards. By law, the Ministry of Education is obligated to pay the salaries for the certified teachers in their national schools. The EcoVillage School was nationalized in 2018 and all the teachers are certified by the Ministry. Therefore, the school fully qualifies to be funded by the government. However, the Ministry is not meeting its requirement to pay the teachers because the government does not have the money to meet the obligation. And the prospects for doing so do not look good for the near future. The families of the school children live in deep poverty, which means there is no money left over to pay for the school after they meet basic survival needs. Right now, the school remains open because we fund it. But this is not our goal. Having achieved the goals of building the school and earning national certification, the goal of sustainability is the next challenge for the Partnership.
Why should you support this school instead of better-known charities?
There is so much need and there are so many worthwhile charities, it can be hard to know what to support. Here are some factors to consider as you decide whether to donate time or funds to the EcoVillage School project.
1. Our Statement of Principles guides us. Our work is personal, not impersonal. We focus on building respectful, empowering relationships between Americans and Haitians.
2. We work with a whole community. When conditions allow, we visit. We explore how we can contribute to the EcoVillage community. We try things. Sometimes we succeed.
3. 100% of your donation goes to the school. Every penny you donate goes into the school budget. The Partnership has no overhead—we are an all-volunteer, no paid staff, no expense accounts. Expenses, such as the cost of wire transfers of funds, are covered by contributions from the Global Mission Council at North Decatur Presbyterian Church (NDPC). NDPC also acts as our banker. All of our expenses go through multiple approvals and our finances are audited as part of the church’s auditing process. Your donation is 100% tax-deductible and has 100% impact.
4. We are small. We are transparent. We welcome your participation, not just your money. Decisions by the Haiti EcoVillage Partnership are determined by a Steering Committee of 15 people – including members of the 3 churches that sponsor the project and those who do not attend church. Haitian-American members are vital contributors to our discussions and decisions. We have all been to Haiti. We have created a new community of friends here in Atlanta. Through our outreach we have a mailing list of about 400 and 100+ who give each year. Each year is a challenge to meet our goal of $50,000 to keep the school open. Your donation, your participation matters. You are welcome to attend our meetings, join our committee and become part of this community. It is very satisfying work, indeed.
Who can join the Partnership?
Everyone is welcome. Many Haitian-Americans in the Atlanta area have joined the partnership, making this a multi-cultural experience for all involved. We look forward to expanding our group further.
Why are Presbyterian churches building a school in Haiti?
Historically, Presbyterians have valued education as a pathway to understanding God and the world God created. We believe that scientific and historical knowledge liberates people to create a better world. Presbyterians have built many schools, universities and hospitals to advance the welfare of people, regardless of those people’s religious beliefs. A Presbyterian hymn says, “Grant us wisdom. Grant us courage. For the living of these days.” We build this school to invite God to provide us and our Haitian friends the wisdom and courage to live these days in a world where their poverty and a history of racism that exacerbates it violates our belief of God’s way.
Is it a church school?
No. The school follows the curriculum of the Haitian Ministry of Education and Haiti’s educational customs, such as morning assembly, the singing of the national anthem and prayers before school and before meals.
Haiti Country Profile: Facts and Figures
The United Nations Human Development Index ranks Haiti as the poorest country in the western hemisphere. 77% of the population lives below the US poverty line of $1.25/day. According to a UNICEF study, almost half of all primary school-age children in Haiti do not attend school, and Haitian public schools have the capacity to serve only one-quarter of the school age population. To read more about Haiti, click on any of the links below.