An Appeal For Teacher Solidarity
An 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 meant 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.
Ryan Sawatzky
Expanding Accessible Education In Haiti:
An Appeal For International Support and Solidarity
Dear Reader,
The following is an appeal from The Sawatzky Family Foundation to teachers, their trade unions and other interested readers in Canada on behalf of an education institution in Haiti that is empowering children and the community in which they live. We hope that a channel of solidarity can be established between you and your counterparts in Haiti.
SOPUDEP (Society of Providence United for the Development of Pétion-Ville) is a school and community project located in Pétion-Ville, on the outskirts of Port au Prince, the capital city of Haiti. There are 600 children enrolled in the 2009/10 school year. The staff numbers 47, all of whom are Haitian. Education in Haiti is in a state of ongoing crisis because of chronic poverty and a lack of resources at the disposal of the national government. Less than half the country’s children attend school. For these reasons, SOPUDEP depends on international support for its survival.
The school had its beginning in the year 2000 as part of a national literacy campaign funded under then-Haitian President Jean-Bertrand Aristide. Its first community initiative was a literacy and economic education program designed for adults between 30 and 60 years of age.
Within weeks of starting the literacy program, children were showing up at SOPUDEP with their parents and grandparents in hopes of gleaning some basic reading and math skills. SOPUDEP’s staff decided it would be best if the children had a proper education program of their own. The adult literacy program was being run out of 37 different locations throughout the community. The project’s directors decided that a single location would be better for the children. The mayor of Pétion-Ville offered the use of an empty mansion for the establishment of SOPUDEP’s stand-alone school. Initial enrollment was 160 children.
In February 2004, the government of President Aristide was forcibly removed from power. All government funding for SOPUDEP ceased, forcing the demise of a hot lunch program that provided many of the children and staff with their only meal of the day. Facing threats of attacks on the school from unelected government officials and their militia groups, many staff members went into hiding, fearing for their lives. Following international support from journalists, human rights activists and solidarity groups, the threats ceased and no harm was inflicted on students or staff.
Since 2004, SOPUDEP School has survived thanks to the dedication of passionate, hard working teachers and an administration that has often worked for months without compensation. The average teacher salary is only $500 (U.S.)$26,957 (U.S.) per year. The total salary budget for 47 staff in the 2008/09 school year was . There are few textbooks, poor protection inside the school from wind and rain, and most classrooms have dilapidated chalkboards and rough desks made from planks of wood. Despite these obstacles, the school offers education from pre-school through to grade 12. Students learn reading, writing, arithmetic and other subjects. In 2009, school enrolment reached close to 600 children.
The expansion of SOPUDEP’s enrolment was made possible by the Sawatzky Family Foundation; a registered charity in Canada. It was created in 2008 with the specific goal of providing financial aid, sustainability, and growth for SOPUDEP School. Our support began following our first meeting with school Founder and Director, Réa Dol in early 2008. A little girl, 10 years old and too weak to stand or talk, came into the room where we were meeting and sat beside us on a little bench as the janitor went to get juice and cookies from a vendor. Réa explained to us that this was a regular occurrence because the children’s families can’t afford to eat on a regular basis. For the remainder of the 2008/2009 school year (five months), we resurrected the hot lunch program five days a week. Since then, we have been doing our best to support the hot lunch program and, more importantly, teacher salaries.
SOPUDEP prides itself on providing free education to the poorest children in the community, children who would otherwise have little or no opportunity for any kind of education. Since the public education system reaches only ten percent of Haiti’s children, the great majority of schools in Haiti are operated by foreign charities or other private institutions. Both public and private schools charge mandatory fees that are out of reach for most Haitian families because the average Haitian takes home between 75¢ and $2 (US) a day. SOPUDEP is different. While it is a registered private school that accepts contributions from parents, SOPUDEP has never turned away a child for lack of funds. It is a source of dignity and pride for those parents who are able to contribute. Their contributions go towards expenses such as water, electricity, gas for the generator, uniforms, cleaning supplies, repairs and fees for special programs the teachers are required to attend by the Ministry of Education.
SOPUDEP adheres to Haiti’s Ministry of Education’s instructional mandates. The Foundation’s objective is to provide assistance to SOPUDEP until the day when Haiti will have a functioning education system. It is our hope that it will serve as a model of how schools can serve the poor majority instead of providing education to only those who can afford it.
The number one priority of school administrators today is to ensure salaries for teachers. Any support that you or your organization can provide to SOPUDEP will express support not only for teachers and the SOPUDEP School but also for the future of education in Haiti. On SOPUDEP’s behalf, we urge you to consider financial contributions as well as other partnering initiatives such as visits, becoming partnering organizations, or creating shared education projects. We invite you to meet with us in order to learn more about the school.
Thank you!
Sincerely,
Ryan Sawatzky, President
For more detailed information on the school and budget breakdowns, please visit; www.sopudep.org.
To see the presentation video; www.sopudep.org/video
For questions or comments:
E mail: sawatzkyfamilyfoundation@gmail.com
Phone: 705-345-5593