Change Lives with English Education

In this report I’m excited to announce some important developments about the English in Mind (EIM) Institute in Haiti.

If you’re a new supporter you may not know that EIM started simply as a group of local Haitians who wanted to improve their English. Their desire stemmed from a knowledge that, with English, they could find work in hotels, restaurants and offices.

In the summer of 2010, a member of that group, Brunel, approached us and made a simple request for us to provide native English speakers with whom they could practice their skills. We agreed and found that Brunel and his friends were meeting on rooftops, in tents, in churches, in fact wherever they could find space.

It was clear that there was a real hunger to learn English.

So, for the next 18 months, our volunteers worked to develop this informal group of aspirational Haitians into a formal school. Then, as our international volunteers left Haiti, the school was transitioned to local teaching and management staff.

Having previously selected the Cambridge English curriculum the local staff unanimously decided to call their newly independent school the English in Mind Institute, after the Cambridge textbooks. Brunel became the principal of the new school.

Over the years we’ve continued to meet EIM’s running costs with the help of amazing donors like you.

However, our former Project Manager for the school, Steph, has also worked tirelessly to support the school both financially, and to further develop EIM as its own organisation.

This July, Steph completed the registration of “Friends of EIM”, a US based 501(c)(3) organisation / charity. While establishing this new organisation Steph began fundraising directly for EIM itself. As a result our own contributions towards the school’s running costs have now decreased.

Moving forward we’ll continue to provide $300 (around £200) a month towards these running costs. We’ll also provide ongoing financial oversight by continuing to review EIM’s monthly expenditures.

However, we also want to officially recognise and salute the tireless efforts of Brunel, Steph and all the Haitian staff. Their dedication and talent have turned IDV’s original project into an amazing organisation in its own right.

In the last year alone 23 EIM students secured new employment because of their English and 2 received university scholarships.

While none of this would have been possible without Brunel and Steph, it also wouldn’t have been possible without your own generosity over the last five years. So thank you so much, and we hope you’ll continue to support the future success of EIM.

If you have any questions about these developments, or about the school in general, please don’t hesitate to email Andy@IDVolunteers.org. I would be delighted to hear from you.

Summer has arrived in Haiti and things are really heating up at the English in Mind (EIM) Institute!

In our January project report we announced that EIM had purchased its own plot of land in Port-au-Prince. We’re now delighted to report that work has started with a pro-bono building design team out of Austin.

Last week the architectural design plans were presented for the first time and they’re incredible! We want to say a huge thanks to architect Jen Weaver and structural engineer Dante Angelini (and their team) for their amazing solutions. Brunel, Enock and the rest of the EIM staff gave their feedback and we’re expecting a full rendering by September.

Meanwhile, before construction begins later next year, EIM students have taken their gardening efforts further by forming a club to make the most of their beautiful new land.

Permaculture expert Taylor Beck and EIM gardening club president Ansly Pierre are now working with twelve volunteers from EIM’s student body to plant trees and vegetables, build benches and start a compost system. With four large mango trees on the property the gardening club is already seeing the fruits of its labour!

But there’s another big focus this summer too, and that’s jobs! We want the EIM Institute to be the number one place to go to hire educated, responsible English-speaking adults in Port-au-Prince.

In the past 2 months alone EIM has secured an incredible 18 new positions for its students. These students are now working as teachers, translators, and English speaking employees at clean water and renewable energy organisations.

EIM itself has also taken on eight further students as leaders for its own international volunteer trips! This deserving bunch will be undergoing intensive training through July and will be partnering with foreign volunteers to lead trips through the fall and into 2016!  If you’re interested in the idea of joining one of these trips then don’t hesitate to get in touch!

If you can’t make it to Haiti then please consider supporting EIM by making a donation instead. We always need help with running costs and building EIM its own school will be a huge financial undertaking.

We’re not put off by the challenge though and this July 15 GlobalGiving will be making things easier by matching donations to this project by an incredible 50%.

Matching will start at 9am Eastern Time (or 1pm in the UK) and donations up to $1,000 (or £600 in the UK) will be matched per donor while funds remain. So, please consider making a gift on July 15, and please also spread the word about this incredible opportunity.

If you have any questions about how we’re using your donation, or would like more information about volunteering at EIM, please don’t hesitate to email Andy@IDVolunteers.org. I would be delighted to hear from you.

It’s now almost May and all is well at the English in Mind (EIM) Institute in Haiti.

Unlike at many schools the EIM year follows the calendar, and runs from January to December. This means the students are just finishing the first third of the 2015 year. For the new students, or those who moved up a level in January, the first few months can be tough as they get used to learning in a new class.

However, as we approach May the students have fully settled in to their new classes and are now all progressing really well.

Although attendance fluctuates a little, the EIM Institute teaches English as a vocational skill to around 150 adults in Port-au-Prince.  With each week that passes the students are improving their English, a skill which is highly sought after in a country which has otherwise chronically high unemployment.

Take 26 year old Pierre for example. His house was destroyed in the 2010 earthquake. Although things were difficult for Pierre after the earthquake he’s worked hard at EIM to improve his English and, through English, to improve his life.

Pierre had this to say about EIM.

“EIM gives the community access to learn English.  With the donors help I am able to learn English, and teach it.  Without EIM I would not be a teacher at Secondary [School] today”

But there’s more to EIM than just it’s “bread and butter” of teaching English.

In our last project report we announced that EIM had just purchased its own land. While construction of a building on this land is still in planning, this doesn’t mean the land has been sitting idle.

Instead the students have planted a vegetable garden and EIM has made arrangements to sell its produce to nearby organisations as a way to meet some of the school’s running costs.

The school’s leaders are also keen to expand their new property so that they can eventually start offering wider vocational training to complement the English skills the students are gaining.

All in all, we’re delighted that EIM continues to go from strength to strength.

It’s only because of your support over the years that we’ve been able to develop EIM from a small group of earthquake survivors who wanted to learn English, into a formal school managed by local leaders. Thanks so much!

As always, if you ever have any queries about how we’re using your donation, please don’t hesitate to email Andy@IDVolunteers.org. I would be delighted to hear from you.

Thanks to your amazing support the English in Mind (EIM) Institute is thriving!

First of all, we’re delighted to announce that EIM has recently purchased it’s own land in Port-au-Prince.

EIM’s new mango tree-filled property is located on a quiet street not far from the airport. It’s the perfect location and with land secured the next step is to raise more funds, and to build the school that EIM’s students and teachers have always dreamed of.

EIM will still rent space at another school until these further funds have been raised, but we couldn’t be more thrilled that EIM now has a space to call its own.

Early construction planning has already begun and the land is already being used to hold outdoor conversation classes while gardening and clearing the site.

In other news, November’s exam retakes also yielded two more graduates for EIM! A huge congratulations goes out to Alex and Samuel. They will join our other graduates, Merove and Richardson, in taking the TOEFL exam in the summer of 2015.

Meanwhile, EIM’s hosting of international volunteer trips continues to go strongly. In 2014, nine different groups of volunteers from all over the world participated in 10-day programs through EIM.

Working closely with native English speakers and visitors from all over the globe has truly given our school an advantage and allowed its students to connect to the broader world through shared language.

With new students, new volunteer trips and new construction planning ahead, we’re very excited to see what 2015 will bring.

All of this success wouldn’t be possible without your support - thanks so much once again!

We still need more funds to keep EIM running, to fund construction and to sponsor our graduates through their TOEFL qualifications.  So, if you can, please consider donating to one of these needs today.

As always, if you ever have any questions about how we’re using your donations, please don’t hesitate to email Andy@IDVolunteers.org. I would be delighted to hear from you.

It’s the middle of a busy exam season at the English in Mind (EIM) Institute!

In September we administered over 100 Cambridge exams to students in our four highest levels. Many students passed on their first try, and others are working extra hard this month on revision classes to be successful during a November retake.

We’re especially proud to announce that after passing our highest-level exam (CAE), two of our Advanced 2 students – Merove Edeus and Richardson Jean — are now officially EIM graduates!

Part of the reward of completing our program is that we will now sponsor these bright students to take the TOEFL exam in 2015.  Although we won’t directly administer the TOEFL, we’ll be offering a special training course to help Merove and Richardson do their very best.

Last month EIM also welcomed a new group of volunteers from all over the US, Canada and the UK. They helped teach extra revision classes and practiced some test-taking techniques that our students will find crucial during their retake. They also provided a much-needed dose of fun during this otherwise stressful period!

Lastly, on a personal note, on September 15th we welcomed our newest EIM student to the world. Anne Christine Zamor, the beautiful baby girl of our principal Brunel was born this day and we couldn’t be happier for him and his lovely wife Roselene. We’re sure Anne will be speaking English in no time!

EIM’s continued success wouldn’t be possible without your support – thank you so very much!

As always, if you ever have any queries about how we’re using your donation, please don’t hesitate to email Emma@IDVolunteers.org. I would be delighted to hear from you.