Programs and Future Goals

Hot Lunch Program

Aside from education for the poorest children in the community, the Hot Lunch Program has turned into SOPUDEP Schools most important program as starvation is on the rise in Haiti. Now at a capacity of over 700 children, teachers and other members of the community including street kids and other schools, the Hot Lunch Program runs an average of five days a week to give many of these people their only meal of the day. Although the cost per student is a mere 14¢ to 25¢ they often have to greatly simplify and cut back on the program due to lack of funds and the current rise in food costs.
This food program was originally government funded within the school from 2002 to 2004 under President Jean-Bertrand Aristide, but when he was forcibly removed from power the program ceased to exist. With the help of The Sawatzky Family Foundation and SOPUDEP supporters the program was reinstated in 2008, but has again fallen on hard times. They do receive help from the National Food Program now (PNCS), but this only covers 40% of the need. With your help, this crucial program can feed many hungry children in the community of Pétion-Ville.

“It is impossible to learn when the mind is on the stomach” (Jean-Bertrand Aristide)

NEW!!! Appeal For Teacher Solidarity Project.

Teachers Salary

Until today SOPUDEP School has only managed to survive with the dedication of a passionate, hardworking staff that often works for months without compensation.  Their resilience is evident on many levels.  Their average salary is only $500 (US) per year...They have no text books, electricity, or proper roof and windows to keep out the wind and rain... They are armed only with dilapidated chalkboards, rough desks made of planks and their ingenuity to teach their students to read, write, and do mathematics among other subjects.  These university-educated professionals have done so much with very little and recognize the value of what they are doing for these children.

Click Here to read more about SOPUDEP Schools staff.

Appeal For Teachers Solidarity Letter

A number of months ago, Roger Annis, Darren Ell and I embarked on a project to bring Teachers Union or general union solidarity to the staff salary program. We feel these individuals and groups understand more than anyone the need for steady financial and technical support for educators in these difficult conditions.

The letter that follows is ment to be a promotional tool and an introduction to this school. If you know anyone or organization involved in education, I encourage you to direct them here or print off a copy of the letter to pass around. I can also send you the original word doc or PDF brochure if you wish.

Click Here To Read- Expanding Accessible Education In Haiti:
An Appeal For International Support and Solidarity

Textbook Fund

Initialy this fundraiser was started last summer for the 08/09 school year, but because of legal trouble that came in the form of an illegal eviction notice from the Mayor of Petion-Ville three years before their lease was up, things went sideways and much of the textbook funds had to go to legal expenses. So this year we are trying it again and it looks like we may have a decent amount to get going. This project would bring Math, Science, Language, and History textbooks to the older students for the very first time in SOPUDEP's seven year history. With the addition of proper textbooks from which the children can study, it will save on the long-term supply costs for the school as the books can be reused throughout the years. At this time all students regardless of grade use a workbook (except for the 08/09 school year as there was no funds for that) which contains both study material and exercises. It works well for the younger students and is cheaper but is not in depth enough for the older students. With the addition of real textbooks, the seniors will receive a more substantial education due to the more detailed explanations, diagrams, and pictures a textbook can provide. It thus closes even more of the "educational quality" gap that separates students in the upper echelons of the privatized education system and those trying to rebuild their lives and their society from the ground up.

Street Kids Housing and Education Program

SOPUDEP School’s mission has always been to help the poorest children in their community of Pétion-Ville and although they have had children facing all dimensions of hardships, including ex street children and Restevak’s (child slaves), they have never had students with no place to call home. On January 16th 2009 the school opened its doors to six homeless boys ranging in age from 12 to 17 to whom they were made aware of by a local activist only weeks prior. As of September 2009 the school is educating 31 street kids. School Director and Founder Rea Dol explains that they have always wanted to include the street kids of their community. Although SOPUDEP is now giving these young men and women an education in hopes to set them on a new path and meals from their hot lunch program (when they have the funds) they simply cannot afford to board them. Giving them a real home would dramatically change these children’s lives as they could concentrate on their studies and not have to worry about where they might sleep tonight. It would offer them security they have never had.

The initial costs would be in the range of $6000 US for a three year contract on a two level building that could house a number of homeless boys and girls. As these children will need such things as clothes, bathroom supplies, breakfast and dinner, and the necessities of life on an ongoing basis we are deeming this to be a long-term project that would probably exist apart from the school as it has a life of its own. As it comes together I will keep you up to speed.

COMING SOON!!! I am putting together a detailed budget for the yearly costs of boarding, feeding and clothing 20 street kids.

Click Here if you wish to read the original article on this project and the street kids.

SOPUDEP Uses The Help They Recieve To Support Other Schools

This is yet another story of how SOPUDEP is vital to the community to which they serve and further proof that this is a program that deserves our attention.

For the time that I've known about the school I've known that they do other social work outside their own walls. I finnaly got the lowdown from Réa on what they actually do and who they support.

For some time now SOPUDEP has been working with two other community schools in a much poorer area of Pétion-Ville: MOJUB, or the Youth Movement United for Bobin with 150 students and the Les Petits Amis du SOPUDEP (another school set up by the SOPUDEP organization) in Boucan La Pli with 40 students.

Réa and her staff find and recommend students for these schools. These children like their own students cannot afford to go to regular public or private schools. As well, they assist in their school formation, including school supplies and teacher training. Réa works with women’s organizations in these communities and it is through them and their activities that recommendations are made for staff employment.

When they have the funds, they also take SOPUDEP's students to prepare hot lunches and deliver them to these schools and help to cover the salaries of their teachers. These are rare occasion because they are pressed themselves, but they do what they can for them because of the extreme poverty and need in those communities. Funds for this are taken from their own staff and food budgets.

So in the end, not only is proper support for this school vital to the children which they educate and feed and the jobs that they provide to their staff, but it also contributes to two more schools that have a chance to affect change, educate, feed and employ in their respective area's.

This is important work, and the better SOPUDEP's support and funding is, the better the health for these other schools.

These pictures are of SOPUDEP's staff and senior students providing a food day for Les Petits Amis in 2008. The Sawatzky Family Foundation hasn't been able to provide the funding like we did for the first year, so scenes like this don't come around as often. We are working everyday to see that it can happen again. With your help I'm sure it will!