La Victoire School is Inaugurated! Classes Begun!

October 15, 2010: With prayers, speeches by government and school officials, and over 70 people in attendance, the La Victoire Public Secondary School was inaugurated on Monday, October 11, 2010. The whole event took about three hours, and the turning over of the keys to the school was quite a ritual. The keys were passed from one group to another, starting in the hands of Haiti Outreach Community Development Manager Roge Michel and Project Manager Isaac Desloches to eventually end up in the hand of the school administrator. Part of the ritual was “blessing” the keys by dousing them in champagne.

Officials present and speaking were: Ministry of Education Director of the Northern Department Theordoare Holair, School Inspectors Eurimarque Jean Francois, Doclanienar Servolard, and Pierre Clodorick, Senator of the North Department Alcmoise Nahoon, Deputy of Pignon, Rankit, La Viktwa Nelson Hidson, Reverend Jaksin Pere, Director of San Raphel School Sireus Joseph, Director Jean Francois Alcima of Rankit, La Victoire Community Platform Representative Paster Louis-souffrance Canot, and Mayor of LaVictoire Thelusmond Norbert. Also in attendence were two Caribbean Radio staff who apparently were doing a live radio broadcast of the event.

Each speaker discussed the activities behind the realization of the school: the time involved, the formation and development of the community committee, the property issue, and the actual school construction. They then officially announced the day the school will start to be put into use: Monday, October 18. There was also a meal served following the event. It was a great celebration for this community. They now have their own public secondary school building so that over 400 teenage children will have the opportunity to continue their education. Without this school, either the children would not be able to complete their education, or they would have to travel long distances to live in a different community, with their parents having to pay for that significant extra expense that very few could afford.

We are very grateful to our many supporters who made donations to make this school possible, and particularly to many Rotary Clubs and the Rotary Partnership for Haiti Committee that worked for two years to raise the money to make this school a reality! Mesi – thank you all!

Dale Snyder
Director of Development
Haiti Outreach

Building of the Basic La Victoire Public Secondary School is Complete!

On April 7, beginning with a prayer and with an audience of students, potential students, town officials, parents, citizens, Haiti Outreach supervisors and employees of the Haitian building company SECOSA, the groundbreaking ceremony for this school was held on a beautiful piece of land overlooking a valley and mountain range in the town of La Victoire, Haiti. This event was three years in the making, from the time the townspeople approached Haiti Outreach with their request for a public secondary school, until that day. Rotary Clubs from Minnesota and Wisconsin took on the challenge to raise the funds to build the school. Other interested supporters also contributed. While it took about two years to raise the money and build the school, the basic school was completed in time for school to begin in October, 2010.

You can see the photos showing the progress of the building on the Videos/Photos page of the Haiti Outreach website. A group of hard-working desk builders went to Haiti from June 9 – 17. They completed their task, building 140 desks in just 6 days. Another group that went to Haiti in July worked on the blackboards that were also started by the June group.

While funds were collected to build the basic school, we still need to raise about $20,000 to electrify the school and make a computer lab, along with Internet access and a library. Your support for this project would be appreciated very much. Just donate online with a credit card todayon the Haiti Outreach website and designate it for the La Victoire School, or send us a check (see the Contact tab for mailing information). All donations are 100% tax deductible.

We are very grateful to the many Rotary Clubs and individuals who made this school possible. It will educate as many as 500 students per year, who will now have a greater chance for a better life with their education. Thank You!

If you would be interested in joining a group that will go to Haiti to see the country and some of our projects, participate in a small work project, and visit this school, please contact Haiti Outreach at 612-929-1122 or write to us at info@haitioutreach.org Also, see the Trips Tab on the Haiti Outreach web site for more details.