Currently, most of our students attend elementary and high school in the community. While the official language of Haiti is French and school is taught in French, the common spoken language is Haitian Creole. Because they are not taught in their native language, there is a need to enhance French skills for our students. Why? Because all legal documents in Haiti are written in French. Can you imagine having your mortgage documents in a language in which you are not fully fluent?
Once we arrive at HHH, we will begin FSL (French as Second Language) and ESL (English as Second Language) classes to give our kids a competitive edge in the Haitian work force. This will require teachers that are fluent in both languages (yes, we are learning French, but we are not fluent!). We will hire locals that are fluent in French to assist us in this endeavor. We seem to have mastered the English language (although some would argue that!), so we will have the opportunity to begin teaching ESL.
Many of our students dream of going to University in Haiti. We have started a College scholarship fund to provide for this need! Of course, not all students need or want to go to University, but they do need to have a vocation. We intend to help them find a vocation and training that will allow them to be productive citizens and to support their families.
A few of the items that will be impactful for education of kids at HHH are found below:
- College scholarships for HHH graduates – $562/quarter or $2,250/year
- Vocational training for HHH graduates – $174 mechanic/plumber $75 beautician/seamstress
- Textbooks and study materials for ESL & FSL – $31 to $57 per text
- Equipment for ESL & FSL instruction – paper, toner, school supplies, etc.
- Salaries for Haitian instructors – $77/month
Funds raised will allow us to establish our ministry without taking funds from current operations leading to a net zero negative impact to HHH!