In the fall of 2012, Starfysh was able to open a school in an impoverished village in the mountains of Haiti. The village never before had a school, so we literally started from the very beginning. We first helped them establish a village leadership committee who we involved in the planning. We would start simple: four classes, kindergarten through 3rd grade. We found an old, tiny, heavily-damaged church building that was not being used, and without much expense were able to make the crude structure safe enough. We partitioned the building into four tiny rooms. We built benches and blackboards. We found and hired four energetic teachers along with a principal. We registered the school with local (island) jurisdictions. We arranged for daily meals for the children.
By all measures, the Makochon school startup has been a success, providing an elementary school (pre-K – 6th grades) in a village that had never had one. We recently completed Phase One of a new school campus a short walk away from the tarp-roofed structure building they’ve been meeting in for the first four years.
Not all of Starfysh’s future school projects will be start-from-scratch. There are dozens of struggling schools peppered across the island, schools that simply need someone to partner with them. We see tremendous win-win opportunities for groups (schools, churches, businesses, clubs, etc.) who will come along side a new or struggling school and bring hope and dignity to a village.
The first, very good year presented us with a new, very good problem! A larger, more suitable structure is necessary to accommodate the school’s growth. It has been amazing to see how they have managed in their tiny, dilapidated four-classroom building, with its tarp roof. It is clear to us that this precious new school will continue on as a permanent, transformative improvement in the life of the village.
A community development facilitator will be hired to work closely with the village of Makochon for a period of 9-12 months, for the purpose of developing a responsible, transparent, and accountable community/school leadership board. We will work with village leadership to design and build a suitably-sized elementary school building and campus. Local labor will be hired and trained in building skills. Locally-purchased materials will be used as much as possible. Visiting work teams will come down to work alongside our Haitian friends. The building structure and grounds will be configured for multipurpose use and flexibility (e.g., after school adult education and village meetings). Classrooms will be outfitted with chairs, work-tables, blackboards, cupboards and filing cabinets, and they will be resourced with the things needed to enrich the learning experience: books, maps, manipulatives, etc. Solar panels will provide for lighting. A canteen kitchen, eating area for the kids and latrines will be included. Rainwater will be captured from the roof, stored in cisterns, and used for irrigating the school gardens. A versatile outside classroom/work pavilion will be situated in the school gardens.
Needed:
$2,000 per month will completely support a Pre-K through 6th grade elementary school: teacher salaries, daily nutritious meals, student uniforms, classroom supplies).