Fall 2009 Update
It’s fall again and SOPUDEP’s 2009/ 2010 school year is well under way. This year they are facing challenges new and old, but it has also brought some exciting opportunities for this school to extend their reach into the community. Through new initiatives to gain sustainable funding for their programs, future prospects of expansion, and the growing support and awareness of this awesome program, SOPUDEP’s longevity and impact in Haiti is looking bright.
Because SOPUDEP has always been an organization that serves the many needs of the community, even if it means extreme challenges like lack of funds or the actual physical threats of being shut down, they still strive to accomplish those goals of strengthening those who need it the most. The poor majority!
Some very generous donations came at the end of the 2008/2009 school year. This 
past summer School Director Réa Dol set about a small school expansion to squeeze in just a few more deserving kids. A three-classroom addition that will hold 60 or more students and a required retaining wall around the property was built under tight financial constraints. The lack of funds for labor was met with enthusiasm from members of the community as parents of students volunteered their time and energy to help build this much needed addition.
This expansion came at just the right time as student enrolment is on the rise again. As economic conditions worsen in Haiti, less and less parents will be able to send their children to even the few remaining “public schools” in the country. Because of a lack of international governmental aid with the added fact that Haiti’s business elite doesn’t pay tax, or very little tax (and will get rid of anyone who tries to implement new tax laws; elected Presidents included),there isn’t proper government funding for public education or any other social program. Parents therefore must pay for basic supplies, books and uniforms at these “public schools”. Again, this is 
increasingly becoming harder and harder for the average family. SOPUDEP is called a school for the poor because every one is welcome to receive a free education without having to buy supplies, but in reality, even though SOPUDEP is is registered as a Private School with the Ministry of Education, it acts more like a true public school. If parents can put in money it is encouraged, but no one is turned away for lack of funds. In its incarnation it was a government funded education program under the Aristide government.
The 2009/10 enrolment includes a number of students that were displaced in last years tragic school collapse and a budding new Street Kids boarding and education program that has grown from 6 boys last January to 27 at the start of this year.
We are still on the hunt for funding for the boarding portion of this program. If you want to learn more about this great and essential program and the costs, click here…
And now with so much demand, Réa and her group are looking to the future to grow free education beyond their current property lines with the building of a new school. They are taking action now to secure that their organization can continue its positive impact throughout Port-au-Prince.
A 100’x 100’ piece of land is on its way to being purchased and a concept of the new school has been put forward. This version that is built from over 40 shipping containers (an incredibly cheap, rugged and overly abundant structural resource) includes, eighteen 20’x 24’classrooms, a library and computer room, kitchen, a street kids boarding house that accommodates 32
children with separate quarters for boys and girls, a two room guest house, a third story playground, rooftop garden, solar energy, water harvesting and much more. SFF’s philosophy behind this is that it should not only be innovative for public education, but innovative in building design as well. I’ll post a dedicated page for this on the site when we get going.
A Note From The Sawatzky Family Foundation
Last year saw a vast improvement to the schools overall health. One that Réa, her staff and students have deserved for many years. The staff got their full salary and the food program (while shaky at times) managed to feed their students a hot lunch on a regular basis with some additional help from PNCS (Program National Canteen Scholar).
The majority of this funding came directly from the pockets of The Sawatzky Family Foundation. While we just
did what we had to too to keep the school afloat, it is clear that this is not a sustainable way to keep the school going and growing and the next few months will be very tight for us. So, we have set about to find bigger and
better ways to garner support on top of the much needed individual donors.
We decided to split the schools programs into individual funding projects in order to gain a bigger interest base. Staff salary, food program, street kids program, supplies, and so on all make up the school, but the differences between these programs are vast and therefore need like minded interest groups and organizations to support each of them. We feel this may be a way for some programs like the food program to extend its reach further into the community or a secondary staff to be supported at the proposed new school.
We are approaching professionals for their support. Amongst the projects is one to get ongoing support for the staff. We will be presenting the idea to Public School Teachers Unions that they provide financial and technical support to SOPUDEP’s teachers. This is more than a one shot donation, but an opportunity for there to be a bond of solidarity and a relationship grown between these like professionals through the years. Many thanks to Roger Annis of CHAN (Canada Haiti Action Network) and Darren Ell (the guy who turned me on to SOPUDEP) for being so instrumental in this project!
The food program has options to go the way of community co-op farming or to be a campaign for a North American grocery store, food manufacturer or restaurant. My Dad Garry and I have prospects to take a very different approach. Retail! We found, by chance, Greg Brooks of “Brooks Pepperfire Foods Inc.” who makes really, really great hot 
sauces and salsa in Quebec Canada. One of his regular ingredients is fair trade Haitian Goat Peppers that are grown by a farmer in Central Haiti. When we approached him for support, he generously offered the use of his product. We would be allowed to use our own label and name promoting the school and 100% of the profits would go to the food program (concept label can be seen here). Wow! Farmers Markets and Folk Festivals here we come! Again, once we get going in afew months I’ll post our progress.
Anyone really like flavorful hot Salsa and want to help sell product? Email me!
We feel that this system of splitting up the programs opens up a world of possibilities for procuring funds in a creative and sustainable way while promoting the program on a larger scale. This also allows people who would like to do a lot more, but have no real experience in fundraising a chance to be a part of the support team. All it requires is the persons God given skills, talents and relationships to be utilized in a new way. The new school and the current school additions will need people from every discipline to be involved. From experts in welding to people who know about rooftop gardens or rain harvesting, people with knowledge and connections are wanted. But don’t forget that our main priority is still Staff Salary and . Lots of help is needed for that as well. Drop me a line if you want to know more.
We have had some really great people over the past year give their time, energy and hard earned money to the school. A few went as far as to organize fundraisers. Thank you Lisa White and crew! Because there are so many people, and some wishing to remain anonymous, we will just say a huge thank you to you all. SOPUDEP is sincerely grateful to all those who have supported them over the years.
It is with passion, effort and the belief that humans are all equally deserving of a fair shake at life that we can ensure that SOPUDEP can continue their work of providing a better quality of life for their countrymen and women. Until they can be instated as a national social program, this is our mission!
October 9, 2009
Ryan Sawatzky, President
The Sawatzky Family Foundation
PO Box 626, 25 Peter Street North
Orillia, Ontario, Canada
L3V 6K5
sawatzkyfamilyfoundation@gmail.com
