"Education is the key to your future." 

-Willy Meme

We are proud and delighted to report that on World Teachers Day, October 5, 2009, Hearts Together for Haiti continued our mission to provide education for the poor of Haiti, by opening our new school, Lekol Espwa (School of Hope).

For the younger, school-aged children of the community, the 4-5 km walk to the school in the next village was just too difficult...especially on an empty stomach, which would often be the case.  For this reason, there was no schooling for the little ones until they were big enough and strong enough to make the long trek to the next village.

Upon learning of this situation in July, 2009, when a group of HTFH Board Members made our first visit to this little village, HTFH quickly began to contact the Minister of Education in Haiti, and to construct a little gazebo school for the four to six year olds of the area.  We are supporting the local Haitian community by hiring people of the community as teachers, caretakers, cooks, and we have supported a local Haitian to construct chairs for the schoolchildren.  Even the children were involved in the construction of their gazebo school and latrine!

Construction of a school is just a beginning.  Now we have the immense and rewarding task of operating and maintaining the school, as we witness hope spreading through the region.