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Sauvlyne's Hope: Haiti Two Years Later: January 18, 2012
Original version and posting at Sactuary for Kids
Photos by: Darren Ell
January 12, 2010, an earthquake ripped through the southwest end of Haiti, leaving thousands dead, and millions injured and homeless. The capital city of Port-au-Prince, with a population of 2 million living within 14 square miles, suffered the brunt of this quakes catastrophic effects. Over two hundred years since Haiti's independence, foreign exploitation of her citizens created a poverty that has wreaked havoc on the majority of the population. It was this chronic poverty and over population in Haiti's Capital that led to the devastating effects of this quake.
Those millions, who were left homeless, sought large open spaces to form makeshift camps. These camps are cobbled together, using any materials on hand. Bed sheets, old tarps and scrap metal fashion homes that are so close together, people are virtually living on top of one another. These camps are stiflingly hot, increasingly dangerous for women and children, and have poor sanitation, with cholera spreading like wildfire.
All of these camps residents come from the poorer sect of society. Even before the earthquake, these poor majorities had little to no hope for employment or education, and now, have little hope to leave this deplorable living situation. Sauvlyne Louis Jean is a young woman whom I met in the summer of 2011; a student attending SOPUDEP School, a Haitian community school our foundation supports. She is a resident of one of these camps and was kind enough to let us see her world.
Building Community and Joy in the Struggle (Holiday Appeal); Dec 09, 2011
From 1791 to 1804, the African slaves of Hispaniola (now Haiti and the Dominican Republic) revolted against the mightiest imperial powers of the time, declaring their independence as the first western black republic. We owe them a great deal of gratitude for this act of rebellion and showing us that there is no power to great to truly snuff out our dignity and spirit of humanity. Sadly, those old imperial powers, and those new, have rarely shown respect for Haiti's sovereignty. "There's gold in them thar hills", to put it glibly. Our colonial past is one of taking from others what is not ours to take. This has proven to be a tough habit to squelch.
Haiti need to realize their ancestors dream of a free and independent nation. This can only happen if we release the reigns of control and put them in the drivers seat. In a country such as Haiti, where there are over 10,000 foreign charities and NGO's operating withing it's boarders, seeing local Haitian grassroots organizations taking action to empower their fellow citizens is special and should be nurtured.
SOPUDEP and other Haitian grassroots organizations are a prime example of the capability for Haitian's to make their own way; to educate, to work, to deliver justice, to preserve their proud culture, and to heal. It is up to us however, to show our support and solidarity, and at this moment in time, to provide the means to make their work more effective. There is an end goal with supporting Haitian grassroots social initiatives; not just a never ending money pit of "charity". The majority of Haitian's will be the first to say that they don't want handouts, but a chance to create a nation and a history that is theirs and theirs alone.
The Gift of Photography for SOPUDEP: Oct 2, 2011
Left: “After First Communion.” Upon finishing their first communion, Haitian girls pose upon leaving the cathedral in Cap Haitian. Right: “Smoke from Burning Tires.” Smoke fills a street in Port-au-Prince after security forces extinguish burning tires following a student demonstration against poverty.By Darren Ell
I began working as a photographer in Haiti in 2006, a tense time in Haiti as the tumultuous period of the 2004 coup d’état was coming to an end. Entire neighborhoods such as Cité Soleil were cut off from the world by UN troops, innocent people were being shot in the streets, and kidnappings plagued Port-au-Prince. It was under these circumstances that American journalist and filmmaker Kevin Pina, with whom I had traveled to Haiti to work, introduced me to SOPUDEP Founder and Director Rea Dol.
Rea’s home was (and remains) a hub for practical idealists. Rea introduced me to independent journalists, well-informed political analysts, teachers and the many people who depend on her for shelter and advice. She provided us with transportation for our journalism work and took care of our food and lodging needs. I found her, and those around her, to have a profound knowledge of Haiti. I soon found that she focused all this knowledge on her main concern, a school named SOPUDEP, of which she was the director.
SOPUDEP and Haitian Grassroots, Sept 7, 2011
some other grassroots organizations that work along side of SOPUDEP. From left to right: Les Petits Amis de SOPUDEP, Fanm Viktim Leve Kanpai (FAVILEK) and Pax Christi Ayiti (PCA)
Some of you may have noticed, that a few months ago the website banner was changed from, "SOPUDEP School - Knowledge is not a privilege of power, but a right for everyone", to what is currently above, "SOPUDEP - a Haitian Grassroots Social Organization". "School" was dropped from the name, simply because working with SOPUDEP over the past three and a half years, I have seen SOPUDEP as an organization that address numerous issues that face the poor through different social programs. They needed to be promoted as such.
While they have mainly focused on providing education for both children and adults since the mid 1990's - including basic literacy, formal education, as well as cultural and health, education - they have tackled other social issues, such as disaster relief, integrating homeless children and those in servitude into a formal education system, and economic development (Micro-Credit). SOPUDEP, and namely founder/director Réa Dol, not only work within their own organization to provide for their community, but collaborate with and support many other Haitian social organizations throughout Port-au-Prince and beyond - as can be seen with Les Petits Amis de SOPUDEP and MOJUB. We all felt it was time to promote SOPUDEP as the multi-faceted organization it really is. To be fair though, their K-12 school remains their biggest project to date and continues to be at the top of their funding priorities.
Réa Dol to Distribute Potable Water to Camps - August 15, 2011
It has been a year and a half since the Haiti earthquake. Hundreds of thousands of her citizens are still displaced, living in the countless camps that now speckle Port-au-Prince and the surrounding area. The health and safety of those camps residents have yet to be ratified and water born illness, namely cholera, has tripled in the past few months. While everyone waits for development agencies, NGO's, local and international governments to organize and implement any kind of rebuilding effort, and for those billions of dollars in international pledges to show up, things like access to clean potable drinking water is still remains a top priority for preventing the spread of disease.
SOPUDEP Founder and Director Réa Dol never meant to fall into the realm of disaster relief, but as she has said time and time again, her life's mission is to help her fellow country men and women in whatever way she can. In addition to her fight for free and accessible education, economic development, and everything in between that seeks to empower the poor, she has been there for her people after any natural disaster. After the earthquake, Réa transformed her school and her home into a makeshift clinic and shelter, organized rescue parties and secured massive quantities of food that fed thousands of families for months.
Fun In The Sun and Social Change: June 30 2011
SOPUDEP Founder and Director Réa Dol sent me these pictures a couple day ago of the Haitian Flag Day celebration she put together for the little ones at SOPUDEP School. I just had to post them! I also thought this would be a fitting theme as some of us prepare for our annual rituals of summer fun.
On the surface, this romp in the inflatable pools just looks like a normal fun activity for these kids, not unlike what we've seen in a thousand suburban backyards during the summer months. However, for these children of Haiti's poor majority, there are much bigger social ramifications going on here. In Haiti, only 20% of the population has access to clean drinking water and therefor a 
swimming pool is a luxury that exclusively belongs to the rich. There are no public swimming pools in the country which further solidifies the pool itself a symbol of the elite.
This is for Rea and her staff a chance to further break social barriers that divide rich and poor. For the kids, a day of fun in the sun they will not soon forget!
When I saw these pictures i immediately though of a chapter on this very subject from "The Eyes Of The Heart", a book written by ex Haitian President Jean-Bertrand Aristide during his second term as president in 2000. I'll leave you with some select passages from this chapter that explains the significance of the swimming pool in Haiti.
Ryan Sawatzky, President
The Sawatzky Family Foundation
Update From The SOPUDEP School and Organization: May 8, 2011
The Sawatzky Family Foundation
PO Box 626, 25 Peter Street North
Orillia, ON, Canada L3V 6K5
Dear friend of SOPUDEP,
It’s the beginning of May. With the end of the school year soon approaching, this is an occasion to provide an update on the situation with the SOPUDEP School and organization in Haiti, including its goals for the next school year.
Institution Mixte de SOPUDEP
This is SOPUDEP's premier and largest school, teaching children from kindergarten to grade twelve. It is located in Petion-Ville, a relatively affluent, outlying district of Port au Prince with neighbourhood pockets of dire poverty. Current enrolment is 564 students. All are from poorer families.
The school is unique in that those parents who cannot pay any or part of the school fees that are standard in Haitian education are not required to do so. Ever since the school signed a ten year lease on its building in 2002, has it stirred up dust in the community. It borders a wealthier neighborhood and has made some more prestigious residents uncomfortable. Some local political figures in the community have tried illegally to evict the school on a number of occasions.
During the earthquake, the school suffered structural damage to the second floor and to a new addition. Nonetheless, the building was used as a makeshift hospital and shelter following the earthquake. The damage as well as post-traumatic fears of enclosed spaces on the part of students and teachers required moving classes outdoors. They are held under tarps in the courtyard of the school.
New Composting Toilets for School, April 14, 2011
I met Harry Ha almost a year ago. He emailed me out of the blue to set up a meeting at a Swiss Chalet just outside of Toronto to talk about SOPUDEP. I really didn't know the nature of the meeting, but I can't pass up opportunities to meet people who are interested in SOPUDEP. He paid for dinner too!
It turns out that Harry had joined the Toronto Haiti Action Committee (THAC)- a Canadian Haiti solidarity network- after the devastating earthquake that occurred in Haiti January of last year. Harry is a retired architect with many years of experience in the food processing business as well and was looking for a way to help after the quake. He had heard about SOPUDEP School through THAC and had come across my name and number. Since I live a very short distance away he wanted to meet to discuss an idea which turns out to be a vital one to the overall well-being of the Haitian population.
His primary interest now was in the field of sanitization and dealing with the problem of human waste. Over the years he had been experimenting with composting toilets, a technology that has been used in Harry's birthplace of Korea for hundreds of years. Harry says he remembers these giant composting piles of residual farm material and human waste from his childhood.
Haitian Lawyer Mario Joseph and Educator Rea Dol Complete Successful Speaking Tour to Canada
by Roger Annis
photo's by Darren Ell
Haiti’s leading human rights lawyer, Mario Joseph, and one of that country’s inspiring educators, Rea Dol, recently completed a five-day speaking tour that took them to Montreal and Ottawa. Additionally, Madame Dol visited Toronto and Orillia, Ontario for five days. Hundreds of people attended their public talks and seminars. Their visit also received widespread coverage in Canadian media.
“The speaking tour exceeded our expectations,” reports Darren Ell of the Montreal Haiti Solidarity Committee, one of the sponsoring organizations. “We wanted to give a big boost to ongoing solidarity efforts in Canada with Haiti and we have certainly achieved that.”
Ryan Sawatzky organized Dol’s visit to Toronto and Orillia. The goal was to introduce educators and educational institutions to the SOPUDEP School that she directs. “The school requires international support in order to survive, especially since the earthquake,” he reports. “Our foundation seeks partners for its work and we have met new ones as a result of Rea’s visit.”
Montreal visit is widely reported and packed with activity
The room was full on Jan. 21 for the press conference that launched Joseph and Dol’s visit to Montreal. He is the Director of the Office of International Lawyers (Bureau des avocats internationaux or BAI) in Port-au-Prince and a member of the board of directors of the Boston-based Institute for Justice and Democracy in Haiti. Joseph’s comments on post-earthquake Haiti, the Nov. 28, 2010 elections, and Jean-Claude Duvalier’s return to Haiti on Jan. 17, 2011 were widely reported in Quebec and Canadian media in the days that followed.
Feed Them With Music Organization Takes on the Hot Lunch Program
SOPUDEP's Hot Lunch Program is a vital part of their school. Not only does it provide a daily meal for the students and teachers, but for other members of the community as well. Close to 700 people. The Sawatzky Family Foundation restarted the food program in 2008 after SOPUDEP lost their government funding for the program in 2004, but over the past three years it has been hard to provide full funding to both the teachers salary and this critical program.
But sometimes the answer your looking for comes to you. After the earthquake, Rea Dol met Paul Frantzich, a songwriter and music executive from the US. Paul founded Feed Them With Music, an organization looking to feed the worlds hungry with funds raised through concert ticket sales.
As of October of this year, FTWM has made SOPUDEP's K12 school their first long term pilot project at full funding. Amazing!
I would like to welcome FTWM to the SOPUDEP family and thank them for the support they are providing for such an important program for the community of Morne Lazzare.
I will let FTWM tell you a little bit of their history.
Ryan Sawatzky, The Sawatzky Family Foundation
From FTWM
What Is Feed Them With Music?
Feed Them With Music (FTWM) is a music revolution. A non-profit organization that feeds those in need globally and domestically with a small percentage of revenue from live concert ticket sales, artist’s merchandise, music downloads and live web-casts. FTWM manages and financially supports a portfolio of proven global feeding programs. Artists maintain control of their content and receive a larger portion of profits through FTWM than the tired major-label record deals of old.