multi-level,
multi-dimensional Haitian School project
By
William Doyle-Marshall
A new school to accommodate Haitian
children residing in the slum area of Corail will open in September. Details of
the project were released by Dr. Eric Pierre, president of Pierspective Entraide Humanitaire earlier
this month at an appreciation affair held downtown Toronto. The community that
developed following the serious devastating earthquake when 1500 displaced
persons occupied the lands has grown to a slum of 100,000 in three years.
the process of Building of the elementary/vocational Catholic school
in Corail, near Port-au- Prince
is being undertaken in cooperation with Pierspective’s partner in Haiti, Aide
Mutuelle pour un Environnement Nouveau. Four
hundred children will be attending the new school, scheduled to open in
September but only 80 students will begin classes initially at the start of the
school year. Right now the facilities are being used as a vocational school
where young people are being trained to become mechanics, masons and plumbers.
On weekends there will be sewing and knitting classes and other fine arts instructions
for women.
“It’s
really a multi-level, multi-dimensional project. It’s really a grandiose
project with a vision, that is going to have an impact on the community,” Dr.
Pierre explained
In addition individuals from
the neighbourhood are being taught courses on citizenship in preparation for the
society. The organizers are considering the use of the school as a community
center, once it is completed. They are in the process of building a basketball
course. Hopefully the young people who use the facility would volunteer with
completing the project, says Dr. Pierre.
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“In terms of job creation: in terms of buying Haitian construction
materials: the people who contribute don’t realize the ripple effect of those
donations. It’s really far and wide. They are really helping the people in that
community, whether young people, adults, families. It’s really quite far
reaching,” Dr. Pierre reflected.
The
school project is being pursued with partners in Haiti. Because the Canadian organization
was unable to generate every day, the Haitian partners have been looking for
other contributors to assist. Recently a group of French Canadians went down to
help and they took some money which helped propel the venture forward. So far
donations for the school from Canada are in the vicinity of $100,000.
In the meantime, Perspectives has developed a computer center -- inaugurated in 2012 -- at another end of the
city in an established area where there was the school Republic Da Cuba donated
by Cuba back in the 1940s. It was a big schools, several stories high that was
completely flattened by the hurricane. Dr. Pierre originally thought of
rebuilding the structure but the estimate of $750,000 caused some re-thinking
of the idea. That resulted instead in construction of the computer center on
the site. Haitian partner in this venture is Action Communautaire de Meyotte
Meanwhile, Dr. Pierre said the Haitian people are still concerned about unfulfilled pledges made following the hurricane. While some have not been honoured, those made through established agencies like the Red Cross are reduced when monies eventually arrive in Haiti. According to Dr. Pierre observers on the ground are alleging that Haiti is receiving approximately ten percent of the pledges after administrative costs are deducted from the pledges.
Meanwhile, Dr. Pierre said the Haitian people are still concerned about unfulfilled pledges made following the hurricane. While some have not been honoured, those made through established agencies like the Red Cross are reduced when monies eventually arrive in Haiti. According to Dr. Pierre observers on the ground are alleging that Haiti is receiving approximately ten percent of the pledges after administrative costs are deducted from the pledges.
“The
concern is still there. First there have been a lot of pledges that have not
been executed and secondly, the word out there, out of every dollar given to
Haiti through those organizations, perhaps 10% reach the Haitian people. Some
of that money actually goes back through contracts or corruption or whatever
else, go right back to the donor countries: contracts to companies and
sometimes the contracts were not genuine or they get bogged down in meetings
and a lot of money is being spent on staff and trips. That is the whole
picture. Some of the money did reach but definitely it is not what you would
expect. 10% is the number being tossed around.”
May
24, 2013
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