Education Haiti Project #13965

Head Start for 230 Pre-School Children in Haiti

by Partners for Haitian Children

Project Report | Jul 25, 2016
Jean-Louis' story: Impact of Head Start Project

By Monique P Garrity | Project Leader

Jean Louis' story

Seven year old Jean Louis , an orphan who lives with his illiterate grandmother had a most successful first grade and ranked at the top of his class. He is all excited about starting grade 2 in September 2016.

What is particularly exciting is that Jean Louis was a member of the first cohort of children to benefit from the Head-Start Program launched in the fall of 2013. With the goal of promoting the learning and development of preschoolers over a three year period ( from age 3 to age 5) the program made possible the acquisition of pedagogical materials as well as teachers’ training and adequate play areas for the children.

The 2015-2016 first grade class of 100 students included 70 students like Jean Louis who had gone through the Head-Start enhanced pre-school program and about 30 students who had attended other pre-school

According to the School 's Principal, an assessment of the all first grade students over the year underscored a marked difference between the performance of children who attended OLPH's three Pre-School years and those accepted from other schools. It was necessary this past year to put in place a remedial program for these who were having difficulties keeping up .

Jean -Louis stands out not only because of his academic performance but also because he is a very engaged and talented boy who participates in other activities such as poetry reading, dances or the theater. He is also very much liked and appreciated by all.

On behalf of the children and their parents we gratefully thank you for givng to these children the transformative gift of education. Please send us your comments and suggestions.

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Apr 27, 2016
Head Start for Three Year Old Djoulina

By Monique P. Garrity | Project Leader

Head Start for Three Year Old Djoulina

Our Lady of Perpetual Help School is located in the town of Petite-Riviere de l’ Artibonite, where economic conditions have worsened over the past year for the disadvantaged families of the more than 200 children in the school’s early education program.

Against this backdrop, the GlobalGiving Head Start for 230 Pre-School Children in Haiti project launched in 2013 has been a game changer. Magalie, one of two teachers in charge of 50 three-year olds in Pre-School Class I shares below her thoughts on how the early childhood education program is benefiting Pre-School students at Our Lady of Perpetual School.

In her words:

“ When I started working with the pre-school program, there were only 80 children in pre-school and the three teachers in charge had limited prior training and no pedagogical materials to speak of. Before the project began, the student- teacher ratio was1: 45; now it is1: 25 -- an important step forward but a ratio which is still too high. We now have pedagogical materials, albeit not enough. The children are engaged in a whole range of activities focusing on creative expression, physical as well as social and emotional development. Our early childhood education program, with 210 students this school year in three classes, three teachers and four teachers’ aides, is considered one of the best in town.”

Magalie also shared with us the story of three-year-old Djoulina, one of the children in this year's Pre-School class I.

“ Djoulina is very intelligent and very attentive and is thriving in her first year at school. She gets along well with her classmates and participates with enthusiasm in all activities. When asked what are her favorite activities she answered: sports, singing, dancing, drawing and coloring or just playing during the recreation period.”

We are grateful to each and every one of you, generous donors , whose support financed the training of teachers, the provision of pedagogical materials, and adequate school furniture. Thanks to you, the children are benefiting from new educational opportunities and given a chance to contribute to the building of their communities. Educating these children is helping ensure the future of Haiti.

Please help us sustain the progress achieved so far in all areas including, inter alia, teacher training, additional teachers’ aides, pedagogical materials, and games. Moreover, building sanitary facilities adapted for three, four and five year olds as well as an adequate playground are also priorities.

We appreciate your suggestions on how to better reach out.Without your support none of this would have been possible.

The Sisters and children pray daily for the intentions of all their benefactors.

MESI AN PIL! Thank you in Haitian Creole.

Links:

http://www.partners-for-haitian-children.org

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Jan 28, 2016
HIGH EXPECTATIONS FOR SCHOOL YEAR 2015-2016

By Monique P. Garrity | Project Leader

Daily Nutritional Meal Enhances Learning

The 200 preschoolers of Our Lady of Perpetual Help School in Petite-Riviere de l’ Artibonite/Haiti have now excitedly

returned to school for their second trimester. Sister Christiane, principal of the school, reports that the first semester was

successful as measured by the attitude and learning of the children in all three sections: Kindergarten , Pre-K 1 and Pre-

K 2. More and better-trained teachers, renovated and more cheerful classrooms as well as greater availability of

pedagogical materials made a big difference in the children’s learning and well being.

Another key development that is having a huge impact on the children’s well-being and capacity to learn during 2015-

2016 school year is the provision to the children of a daily nutritional hot meal as well as morning snacks.[1]

We are most grateful to our generous donors for reaching out to the children and giving them the transformative gift of education.

Top priorities for the Pre-School include : hiring additional teachers and bring the teacher student ratio from 1:34 to 1: 20 and, increase teacher’s yearly salary from US$850 to US$1,000.

We invite you to visit our new website:www.partners-for-haitian-children.org and send us ideas and thoughts for meeting the challenges faced by the Pre-School.

MESI ANPIL for your support and for keeping faith in our mission.

[1] The previous school-feeding program managed by the Government of Haiti was suspended for school year 2014-2015. The lack of a daily hot meal had a huge negative impact on the children’s capacity to learn. Many of the children came to school hungry and suffered from headache and/or stomachache.

Since the start of school year 2015-2016, Our Lady of Perpetual Help School participates in the National School Feeding Program financed by foreign aid.

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