Education  and food distribution

THE PARTNER

THE PARTNER The St. Luc Foundation is a Haitian organization that offers education, medical care and dignity to more than 1milion people every year through its programs where more than 900 Haitians work. Father Rick Frechette, an American priest and doctor, has founded and directs this Institution working with a group of young Haitians leaders, who, together, have the will to lead their Country towards a new future in which every man can live out of that extreme poverty that takes dignity away. Born in 2001 the programs of Saint Luc provide:

• Education and food for 10.000 students every year
• Medical care to more than  200.000 people every year
• work for over 1800 units of  permanent staff

THE PROJECT

a. HEALTH-HUNGER/ Food Incentive

Each of the students included in the project receives every day a meal consisting in rice beans and vegetables. Together with this, 3 times during the school year a 5 Kg packet of pasta is given to every student to bring to his/her family. These incentives mean that school attendance is not only dependent on the will of the individual child but is also motivation for the whole family who is thus relieved from the problem to feed every day a certain number of components of the family, because relying on the food contribution guaranteed.

b. EDUCATION

In a context such as that presented becomes, therefore, essential the role played by street schools: safe places where children can find a “shelter” from the dangers of rampant crime and benefit from an education that is a potential source of redemption for them and the community itself. Educate children and their families to the concept of school as a chance for redemption for themselves and the community means to lead to the awareness that change must pass through them. Education and respect for its value reaffirms the dignity of individuals enabling them to have a positive impact on the choices of their future. Besides, Education means respect for oneself, for one’s own body and a more responsible approach to sexuality and to the illnesses that from it can derive. Through street schools then pass messages that impact not only on single students, but involve the community. A community that especially in the provinces, if made aware, can reduce the flow of migrants towards the slums, choosing to invest in one’s own territory

c. Healthcare

The new project activated in 2015 includes hygiene and nutrition training with a staff composed of 3 nurses and 2 doctors. A doctor visits the community for a screening of all possible pathologies such hernia, malaria, dermatologic diseases – all of them receive anti-parasitis, vitamins and some of them antibiotics too. In case children have serious hillness, they could be transferred to St. Damien or / and St. Luc Hospital.

d. ORGANIZATION and training

All the 3 schools are equal to State ones and are run by properly qualified and duly licensed teachers and staff. The curriculum complies with that of public schools and is managed by a central school committee which is responsible for sending it out and then monitors its application in schools in the various communities. A local committee is organised for each school which manages the adaptation of the program according to the specific characteristics and needs of the context and level of the students concerned. The central committee is in continuous dialogue with the local committees, communication which allows the response not only to specific needs related to education, but also the conditions in which it operates. All the teachers are included in a periodical training program that follows the national education program.

ABF ACTIONS

The Andrea Bocelli Foundation supports:

THE CONTEXT

Haiti is one of the poorest countries in the world, among the last in the world rankings for the conditions of childhood, mortality rate and poverty.

• 56% of the population suffers of malnutrition ;
• 1 child out of  3 dies before age 5 from malnutrition and curable diseases;
• l’80% of the population lives with less than 1$ a day;
• One child out of two does not go to school;
• The average life expectancy does not exceed 55 years of age
• 70 % of the population has no work

January 2010: a terrible earthquake caused 230,000, 300,000 injured people e 1 million homeless people. Today the country has not yet overcome this catastrophe. In the meantime it has also been hit by cholera and by two hurricanes.

There is a lack of infrastructures, sanitation, electricity and water supply, public hospitals are absent or are in totally degraded conditions.

In the slums in particular the situation is of a continuous emergency. The access to water and to sanitation is made difficult by the inability of many to move outside from their restricted environment.

The capital Port au Prince is overcrowded and here more than 60% of the inhabitants live in slums. Most of these people are from the provinces of the Country and migrate in the hope to find a better condition of life if compared to theirs.

Outside the capital the means of communication are poor, some stretches are practicable only with special vehicles or on foot, the food supply conditions or basic necessities are reduced in quantity and opportunity, and the presence of institutions such as schools , hospitals, clinics is almost one tenth of what can be found in Port au Prince. Families live from farming or herding, activities carried out without any planning or methodology. In places along the coast there is also fishing activity that allows people to feed themselves

School of St. Augustin – Abricot

Abricot is a village located at two hours drive, from Jeremie. Families live mainly on   farming and fishing. These activities are carried out randomly and do not guarantee for this reason procurement adequate for sustenance.

St. Augustin school situated in Abricot Jeremie, welcomes 600 students coming from the nearby villages. On average every student walks three kilometers, every morning, to reach school. The school building at the moment has been built only partially, and some classes are grouped together to make the most of the space available, students can even be around sixty in one classroom.

School of Notre Dame du Rosaire – Croix desBouquets

The school Notre Dame du Rosaire is located in the artists’ quarter of the city of Port au Prince. In this neighborhood many families are engaged in the production of items called “Fer Forgè” (wrought iron) which they get from recycling diesel oil barrels. The school structure where the activities take place was established in 2004. To date the spaces are rent and host 288 students. Classes are organized into age groups and according to their learning program.

St. Philomene – Kenscoff

The school of St Philomene is located in Kenscoff a mountain area which is about two hours drive from Port au Prince. Also here the few economic activities like agriculture are all carried out at a family level and intended for mere sustenance. The school structure where the activities have been carried on until June 2014 is a real street school without foundations and built with poor materials like wood and metal. Classes are organized into age groups and according to their learning program.

All educational programs are coordinated by a central school board that has precisely the function to coordinate. Each school then has its own director, with local staff that organizes learning programs together with teachers and enforces them.