Education is Power
Through the work of Practical Compassion, you can support education in Haiti in several ways.
- Donate to Haitian education and help support our K through 12th-grade school in Ponte Sonde, Haiti.
- For about $1 a day, you can provide a life-changing education and sponsor students in Haiti by providing scholarships to the Louis Pierrot Schoo Built in 2011, this is the only secondary school in the area.
- Support a teacher in Haiti. Because of the unstable economy teachers in Haiti aren’t always guaranteed a paycheck even if they have a steady job. We provide a living-wage and consistent paycheck to our teachers because we believe in empowering everyone our school impacts.
When you support education in Haiti by donating to Haitian education or sponsoring students, you’re empowering children to change the world. We believe that the dignity and hope that’s restored when people can help themselves lays a direct path to the improvement of individual lives and communities in Haiti.
With your help, our prayer is that Practical Compassion can foster the dreams of this next generation of Haitian children.
Our vision for students receiving scholarships from Practical Compassion is that, along with the hope it brings, the education will create opportunities for them to become leaders in education, medicine, infrastructure, politics, and business. We are already seeing this come to fruition in our earliest students—who are now graduating and getting jobs as accountants, nurses, teachers and starting their own businesses.
Education in Haiti
Some people view the flaws in the education system in Haiti as an insurmountable problem. We see it as a chance to share our blessings with our international neighbors. Here are some facts about the current situation:
- Public Schools. Public schools in Haiti are far and few in between. This void is filled by private schools sponsored by nonprofit organizations like Practical Compassion. Students must pass a national exam after grades sixth, ninth and eleventh to go to the next grade, and another after twelfth grade to graduate.
- Practical Compassion Assisted Schools. Our intention is to provide financial assistance to schools by establishing a fixed budget with the Haitian administrators to use as they see fit. We’re handing over ownership and responsibility of the school system from supplies to teacher salaries. The Haitian administrators also oversee the school building construction and repairs done by contracted Haitians we hire. Hiring local workers versus bringing our volunteers to do the work is a boost to the families in the community.
- Computer Education. Along with basic education, we can offer computer classes to make sure the Haitian students are equipped with this vital 21st-century skill. In November of 2012, the Lebanon Valley College in Annville, Pa., donated five computers for us to take to Haiti to use in a secondary school. This was the beginning of an ongoing gift of generosity from LVC. Each time we traveled to Haiti, the Information Technologies Department at Lebanon Valley College donated more computers. As of November 2014, the secondary school now has a lab with 20 computers donated by LVC.
How Can You Help?
We invited you to join us in loving our neighbors in Haiti and donate to Haitian education. Our donors have the option of designating a portion of their money to support our students through a scholarship or contribute to the general education fund. Visit our donation page for more information.