Well, I'm happy
to say that St. Thomas has indeed survived, and I am now deeply recommitted
to helping them to help themselves, and YES!!! I need all the
help I can get. I am in the process of bringing the work of St.
Thomas school under the umbrella of Harvest Time's network in Haiti,
and St. Thomas is also a primary focus of Haiti PARTNERS (a small
group of persons from my home town of Madison, WI who have come together
to develop mutually beneficial partnerships with Haitian people and
groups). Any contributions to St. Thomas School as of February
2001 can be given through Harvest Time, and are fully tax deductible.
If you and/or your church or organization would like to be involved,
please contact me and let's talk about the possibilities.
Matthew 25:31-42
Luke 16:19-31
The
St. Thomas School Partnership
(Originally
Posted 1999)
Pictures
of the School
In Haiti, the
poorest country in the western hemisphere, there is virtuallly no
public school system. The schools which exist are almost all private
in one way or another. Many have been established by church related
institutions or other organizations which are attempting to address
the countless problems related to the pervasive lack of education
in Haiti. We'd like to tell you about one such school.
St. Thomas School, or "Ecole Mixte St. Thomas" as it is
known in Haiti, is located in a neighborhood on the fringes of Port
au Prince called Cite Soleil. Mother Teresa once referred to this
area as one of the poorest places on the planet. It is a city of close
to a half million persons who live in humble homes with no electricity,
no running water, open sewage, over 80% illiteracy, and almost no
hope at all of finding work which can enable a family to eat on a
regular basis. About a decade ago, a remarkably gifted and committed
young man named Jean Rosemond Sylvestre decided to establish a new
school for the children of the poorest of the poor. Rosemond, as he
was called, grew up in Cite Soleil and managed to learn to read and
write in a humble school himself. He dedicated his life to trying
to give the children of his immediate community an opportunity to
receive an education that will increase their chances of at least
moving, as it is often put in Haiti, from misery to poverty.
St. Thomas School has received financial support on a sporadic basis
from a number of different individuals and groups over the years,
but keeping the doors of the school open has been a constant struggle.
One of the ways in which Rosemond generated income to support the
school was through the selling of Haitian crafts in a modest boutique
which he opened in Cite Soleil. The primary "shoppers" in
this boutique are groups of U.S. residents who travel to Haiti to
engage in church mission work. In 1993, Rosemond met Bryan Sirchio,
a Madison, Wisconsin resident who travels to Haiti regularly. Bryan
began selling some of these crafts, particularly small wooden bells
made of mahogany, and directing the proceeds to St. Thomas School.
Bryan has since introduced several other Madison residents to Rosemond
Sylvestre and St. Thomas School. This relationship has now expanded
into a more organized network of persons who feel a sense of call
to support this work. We are calling this the "St. Thomas School
Partnership."
Some
Specifics About the School
Currently, about 200 students, ages 5-14, attend St.
Thomas School. The school employs eight teachers, two cleaning persons,
an administrator, two assistant administrators, and a cook.
The cleaning persons earn $30 U.S. each month, and the rest of the
employees earn $40 U.S. per month. Parents are requested to pay $10.00
a month for a child to attend the school. In reality, however, very
few parents are able to pay anything at all. In such cases, the child's
enrollment is not terminated. So few parents are able to pay, that
the school has rarely been able to pay its staff on any
consistent basis. And yet the teachers keep teaching. They teach even
though they often have inadequate curricula and little or no supplies.
Through the St. Thomas School Partnership, we are attempting to help
St. Thomas School generate enough income to pay its teachers, and
to update its curricula and supplies on a regular basis.
The
St. Thomas Meal Program
In 1997, Rosemond informed us that one of the greatest
challenges he and the school faces is the fact that the students are
often severely malnourished. He told us that many of them do not have
the energy to concentrate on their studies, because a large portion
of the students do not eat more than once or twice a week. He quoted
a Haitian proverb; "An empty bag can not stand straight."
In other words, children with empty stomachs can not focus on learning.
As a result, we have established a meal program at St. Thomas School,
through which each student is given a hot plate of rice and beans
as often as possible (depending on how much money we have.)
It costs about $600.00 U.S. per month to keep this "canteen" going.
The
Dignity of Economic Empowerment
Between the teachers' salaries, school supplies, and
the meal program, we are attempting to partner with St. Thomas School
to raise about $1,200.00 U.S. each month. Of course we will be thrilled
to accept tax deductible financial contributions of any size toward
this work. But we are most enthused about helping the people of Cite
Soleil to help themselves. Specifically, we are attempting
to open up new markets for the sale of the crafts which the people
of the St. Thomas School community are creating. This enables them
to create jobs for their own artisans, to strengthen the economy of
their own neighborhood, and to enjoy the dignity and long term stability
of being a self-sustaining program.
How
Can You Help?
Here are some
specific ways in which you might be involved in this partnership,
but please know that we are wide open to whatever ideas you might
have!
1. Make a tax deductible contribution to this partnership of any size.
Any financial gift you give will go 100% directly to St. Thomas School.
-
$10.00
pays for a child to go to school and eat for a month
-
$120.00
pays for a child's school and meals for a year
-
$580.00
pays for staff salaries for a month
-
$600.00
pays for the meal program for a month
-
$1,200.00
pays for the staff salaries, meal program, and supplies for a
month
2.
Sell wooden bells and/or other Haitian crafts for us, either as an
individual, or through your organization.
Contact us if you'd like to pursue this.
3. Partner your church or school with St. Thomas School in some kind
of ongoing way. Schools might be able to ship surplus materials, etc. Contact
us if you'd like to pursue this possibility --
608-294-8716.
.