Providing education for the young people of Haiti was the first goal that HBHH established for the organization. This priority came not from the U.S. HBHH volunteers, but from Fr. Desinord Jean, a priest in Port au Prince who has witnessed the benefits of education throughout his lifetime in Haiti.
Education, of course, can mean many things. For the youth, it is the chance to progress through formal schooling. For adults, it can mean vocational training or education on health issues.
Student Sponsorships
The first action taken by HBHH was to sponsor children in danger of losing their place in school due to the inability of their parents to pay tuition. Although access to education is guaranteed in the Haitian consitution, the harsh reality is that there simply aren't enough schools to accomodate all the children in Haiti. Private schooling is prevelant in Haiti, whether parents prefer the atmosphere and teaching qualities inthe private schools or because there is no alternative. However, very few adults in Haiti have secure employment, meaning that every fall there are children whose parents cannot afford to continue their children's schooling. In several tragic cases, parents have died and left the children in the care of relatives who have no extra money in their budget for tuition. HBHH sponsors children primarily in the areas of Port-au-Prince and Jacmel (see Map), stepping in when these urgent needs arise. Fr. Jean and Bishop Chibley review circumstances and forward information on those children whose schooling is truly at risk. Sadly, the tuition rates that can derail a promising academic career range from only $200 to $400 per year.
Scholarships
What more effective way could there be to encourage education than by funding scholarships for promising students who show the potential to advance beyond the high school level. HBHH not only funds such scholarships, but multiplies their impact on the villages by focusing on teacher and medical scholarships for young people who will bring their education back and help the people in their village.
Building Classrooms and Teacher Sponsorships
While student sponsorship will always remain a core activity at HBHH, building and renovating schools is a far more effective method of multiplying the effect of contributions. While student tuition may only range from $200 to $400 per year, the cost of a certified teacher's salary is in the neighborhood of $1500 per year. Since a classroom may hold 30 children, the advantage of building schools and funding teacher salaries is obvious. The construction of an elementary school in the village of Cotlette, with 8 classrooms and capable of serving 600 students in two daily shifts amounted to approximately $12,000 per classroom. A quick exercise in math demonstrates that building a school and paying teachers has less than a one year payback!
Vocational Training
Vocational training is an area that HBHH is just starting to explore. In the village of St. Suzanne, the woman's center is training young adults to sew, cook and learn basic hygiene. For these young seamstresses, the goal is to produce high quality sewn merchandise that can be sold both locally and also within the U.S. This past year the students at the Woman's Center began producing these articles of clothing and the sales of that merchandise began to generate revenue for the center. In addition, there are vocational schools in Fort Liberte: one is a school teaching young men carpentry as well as car and truck mechanical skills. The other school teaches technical skills. HBHH is working with the leaders of those schools to identify ways in which the organization can be of assistance.
