Can We?
* Primary and Secondary Education
Since 2019 at the request of the Haitian Fond Doux Foundation advisory committee, the Foundation has sponsored the Good Samaritan School of Platon. Jonas Pierre is the administrator. It would have closed without our assistance. The school has grown from 40 to 58 students, kindergarten (three levels) through 6 th grade. Also at their request 30 additional primary and high school students, many of them from the Ravine Parc area up the mountain north of Fond Doux are receiving educational assistance to other schools. We have been requested to help several times that number but have declined because of lack of resources. The Foundation has also given occasional emergency assistance to the Methodist School of Fond Doux and the School for Tomorrow in Ravine Parc.
* English Classes
Most foreign trade and most visitors to Haiti are related to the United States. Becoming fluent in English is one way to improve one’s status in Haiti. The Fond Doux Foundation provides two English Clubs, one at the School for Tomorrow in Ravin Parc and another at the Capois La Mort School in Fond Doux. They employ four teachers of English.
* University Scholarships
Several Fond Doux students are receiving a university education sponsored by the Fond Doux Foundation. Four Students are currently enrolled and four students have completed their university education and returned to the community, including a physician and two teachers.
* Agriculture
Because so many goats died in an earlier “Kids” for Kids Project, a “Heifer Project” like program of distributing goats in the village, a program of classes in goat care was included in our mission trips, later chicken care was added. With Mission Trips temporarily susspended because of travel restrictions, the Foundation employs an agriculture technician to provide education and assistance in improving nutritional value and yields for local gardens.
* Health Classes
Originally on each mission trip FDF mission team members conducted classes with translators on First Aid, Preventive Medicine, and Pre-natal care. Now classes especially on nutrition, hygiene, disease prevention including aids, typhoid, infectious diseases and birth conrol are taught on a regular basis by a Haitian registered nurse paid for by the Foundation.
* Music Classes
Music education is virtually unknown in rural Haiti. Erin Engel developed a program of teaching young Haitians to become the teachers of music basics. She started with recorders, inexpensive instruments, teaching students how to read music. Later a Foundation educated teacher conducted music classes on a weekly basis until he moved from the community. Presently the classes are temporarily suspended but not forgotten.
* Computer Usage
Brent Engel has been involved in introducing computers into the village of Fond Doux. With the access to technology, education beyond the country of Haiti is accessible. When travel permits this program will be resumed Meanwhile several young people have received scholarships to learn about computers.