Education

Education in Haiti

In the 1980s, St. Paul’s had only a modest schoolhouse with few students in a couple primary grades. There were no school supplies and little money to pay teachers. Since that time, the school (now called “Bon Pasteur School”) has blossomed into a school of hundreds of students and provides both a primary and secondary education.

 Since 2004, St. Francis has sponsored the Haiti Education Program, adding a new grade every year or two to Bon Pasteur School, and expanding the classrooms to support the increasing number of Haitian students.  Our program is unique in that it supports formal primary and secondary education for the children of our sister parish, which has approximately 500 students.

Throughout the school year St. Francis contributes over $25,000 towards the essential costs of running Bon Pasteur School.  The majority of funds raised are from St. Francis parishioner contributions and direct parishioner student sponsorship.  However, the St. Francis Haiti Committee is always actively working to raise money through other means such as grant writing and event planning.  Many Haitian families can pay some money to send their children to Bon Pasteur, and this is indeed an important source of revenue to keep the school running and to keep the community involved.  The Haiti Committee works to encourage this Haitian involvement so that someday our assistance may not be needed.  However, without the support of the St. Francis, at this time, Bon Pasteur School would cease to function.

Allowing the children of Leon to move from a second or third grade education to a complete secondary school experience is the bedrock for real positive change in our sister parish.  St. Francis parishioners can take pride in the fact that their contributions are going to effectuate this improvement in the lives of numerous poor Haitian families.