At Entreculturas we have started a programme of action for the next five years in order to guarantee access to a quality education for thousands of Haitians. This will enable them to face their future and become change agents for their country. For this purpose we have mobilized a total of 2.693.500 euros, of which over 977.300 have already been invested in organizing education activities at the refugee camps, building schools, start job skill training programmes and teacher training.

Our four priorities are:

1-. Emergency education in five refugee camps in  Port-au-Prince (Henfrasa, Canaan, Aba-Satan, Pak Kaypé and Park Colofe), during the first months after the catastrophe. Activities such as theatre, dance, sports, languages, painting, have helped 1.200 children to recover some normal life through daily routine.

2-. Increase of education coverage through the construction of 35 new classrooms for a total of 1.400 students. This is helping schools to be not so overcrowded, due to the thousands of displacements from the population of Puerto Principe to other regions of the country.

3-. Technical education with 750 people graduated in 13 different specialties (construction workers, electricians, plumbers etc.) during 2010. These programmes, targeted at helping with the reconstruction of the country and providing jobs, have been implemented in 6 schools for over 2.000 new students who started lessons last October.

4-. Teacher training in order to guarantee a quality education. Over 300 teachers throughout the country have taken lessons to update their capacities and learn adequate pedagogical skills for the current situation of their students.

Click on this image, and after on "Qué hemos conseguido" or "Nuestra trayectoria en el país"  to see this four priorities and the rest of our work in pictures (spanish)

"Thanks. Your help has arrived to Haiti. They still need it.

Our work in Haiti

Entreculturas is working since 2004 for education as a strategy to fight poverty in Haiti, with two of its main field partners : Foi et Joie (Fe y Alegría) and the Jesuit Refugee and Migrant Service JRMS.
Over these six years we have also participated in natural catastrophes such as the hurricanes of 2008, in addition to working at the border with Dominican Republic defending human rights of Haitian illegal or refugee women, men and children.

A year ago, the earth trembled and everything collapsed. The vulnerability of the Haitians provoked one of the gravest humanitarian crisis in recent years. Entreculturas, Fe y Alegría and the JRMS reacted immediately.

In addition to providing humanitarian aid, this year we have focused on schooling and creating routines for refugee children, rebuild schools, job skill training for youth and teacher training. Because Haitians have the same right to education as in any other place and they need it to rebuild and reinvent a still depressed country.

More information:

• Statement of Jesuite Refugee Service in first Haiti earthquake anniversary
• Foi et Joie Haiti Youtube Channel