Rankit Public School FAQ

Why Haiti and Why Now?

Haiti is, by all accounts, the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere and one of the poorest in the world. The poor economic, health and educational systems combine to create circumstances that even the most determined individuals would have a hard time overcoming without outside assistance. The government had little money with which to make significant changes in these circumstances before 2010. With the devastating earthquake, hurricanes and the cholera outbreak, the need for this type of assistance is all the more necessary.  This Partnership project was underway in 2008, before these disasters hit that have plagued Haiti in 2010. Now, the need is even greater, as many funds continue to be held up in the international community to rebuild the capital, and there is even less hope that it will reach the rural areas.

In 2003, a group of Rotary Clubs from District #5950 and #5960, plus some others, partnered with World Vision and Haiti Outreach with the goal of changing some of these circumstances in a sustainable way. The Safe Water Plus Project began to drill and repair 141 wells and build 1,200 latrines in the Central Plateau in Haiti, affecting 100,000 people or more.

Clean water literally saves lives, especially when medical care is expensive and not very available. Death rates in the targeted Haiti project area ranged as high as 23% for children under the age of five, mostly from contaminated water. As of 2009, 100 wells have been drilled or repaired and 958 latrines have been built. More clean water wells are being drilled and planned.

It’s true that, without clean water, it is essentially impossible to lift Haiti out of its poverty. But the ultimate goal of the creators of Safe Water Plus in Haiti has always been much more than drilling wells to improve drinking water conditions. That was just a beginning. It has been to take this impoverished country and help it to develop in as many ways as possible – in ways that would make a lasting and significant difference. As many Rotarians have made volunteer trips to the area to see the unbelievable conditions, and worked to build homes and school desks for students, they have seen first hand the need to do more.

The broader goal is to target resources and energy to help the people of Haiti ‘springboard’ forward and make significant progress in areas of water, health, and ultimately economic opportunity and growth. But if the children do not get a good education, none of that will occur for this generation or the next. In the spirit of trying to move forward to the next level, and in keeping with doing ‘substantial things’ that make a sustainable difference, the La Victoire Public Secondary School building project was created. That school has now been built, and we want to do more and build another school. Rankit is the next town that we selected that has no public secondary school.

What are the schools like in Haiti and why is there such a need?

There are schools available for only 62% of the elementary school students and only 18% of the secondary school students. And of those, only about 10% are public – the rest are private. It costs approximately about $8 USD per year to send a child to public school in Haiti, compared to $50-$300 USD or more per child for private school. Most of the people cannot afford that private school tuition. The government has little resources for building schools, especially secondary schools.

Where are the schools needed?

While they are needed all over Haiti, they are very scarce in the Central Plateau region of Haiti, where Rotary is actively engaged in the Safe Water Plus projects. Because of this activity and familiarity, community leaders have sought assistance from Haiti Outreach and Rotary in getting schools built. The secondary school population of this region is around 90,000 children. Today there are only 4 public secondary schools serving these students. As you can see, public secondary schools are in short supply and thus in great demand.

If the Haitian Government can’t afford to build the schools, then who will maintain and staff them once built?

The Haitian Government has promised to staff, supply and operate any schools built, as well as provide ongoing maintenance of the school buildings. This scenario has already been implemented in this area very successfully. So far they have kept their agreements to make the schools work.

Who would manage the project, perform the construction and ensure a successful outcome?

Haiti Outreach’s mission is to collaborate with the people of Haiti to build and maintain community-initiated projects that advance their development. They have been on the ground in Haiti for over 13 years doing just that. Besides their clean water projects, Haiti Outreach is building public schools to allow those who cannot afford private school tuition to get a true education – which is crucial to personal and national development.

Haiti Outreach has built three public schools that already serve over 1,700 students per year in the Central Plateau region. These construction projects are also planned, designed and managed by Haiti Outreach in partnership with a consortium of interested Rotary Clubs. The actual construction would be contracted to local firms with whom Haiti Outreach has years of successful experience and relationships.

Why was Rankit selected as the location?

The town of Rankit is only about 10 miles from La Victoire and Pignon, two towns that now have public secondary schools. They have asked Haiti Outreach to build a public secondary school in their community.  While the need for these schools is all over the country, Haiti Outreach is based in Pignon, making it much easier to manage such major projects to neighboring towns.

Rankit is a community where Haiti Outreach is already drilling and working on safe water projects. The greater town area has approximately 8,000 residents, yet the closest public secondary schools are too far to reasonably walk. Even if they were not, the road between the towns is very poor and most Haitians do not own vehicles so it is not practical for students to get to other towns.

How large will the school be?

It’s expected that the design will be very similar to other schools already built by Haiti Outreach, which is quite simple and made of concrete and steel. The design calls for seven classrooms, each with a capacity of up to 60 students each (serving over 400 students in total), as well as an administrative office. The project would also include the desks and blackboards for the classrooms, a clean water well and latrine.

How much will it cost and what is the timeline for the project?

A consortium of Rotary clubs in Minnesota and Wisconsin, so far, are working to identify and raise the funds needed for this project. The cost of the project is expected to be approximately $200,000 USD. The school is targeted to be open in September of 2012, and the construction process will take roughly 5 months to complete. If the funds are raised by February of 2012, the school can be built and open on time for the start of the next school year. That gives us essentially just one year plus a little to raise all the money. That’s why we need your Partnership!

In the past, the Government in Haiti has not always been very stable. What impact does this have on the proposed project?

The people of Haiti and the Haitian government know very well the importance of education for their children. A person with an education is highly respected there. Many parents, even in primitive, rural areas, work very hard to scrape together enough money for their child’s tuition and school uniform. Even in the most unstable times, the government has done whatever it can to pay the teachers and administrators to keep the public schools open. There has never been any question by any faction or party that the education of their children has primary importance.