August 2020
Hello All
Marg and I would like to THANK all of you who donated to help us with the many ongoing projects and needs in Haiti. We continue to communicate with all our friends there. They, too, are struggling with how things will affect their children now back in school. They do not have the same resources there for protection and their classrooms are very overcrowded in a lot of cases. Combine that with the heat and we wonder how long masks (if they have one) will stay on. As with here, time will tell.
To date we have been blessed with approx. $6,000 in donations. As we have in the past when donations were down, we sat down and prioritized the needs/requests we told you about in the update in July. Our list looks something like this to this point in time: Tuitions/books/supplies/uniforms etc. for the 20/21 school year for the 4 main students we support (all amounts shown are approx. as we have not received the actual amounts from anyone yet) Theonel started school when he was 12 as his family was very poor. We have supported him since he was in elementary school and he is entering into his 5th year of a 5 year Agricultural program. He will need $3,700 CAD for first term. Guivenson we have known since he was very young. We have supported him all through school and he will be entering into Grade 8. He will need $1,700 CAD for the whole year. Reece, as with Guivenson, we have known since early childhood, he is entering into grade 5 and will need $1,200 CAD for his whole year. Stecie, we have supported since she started kindergarten. She is entering into grade 7 and will need $1,400, as she goes to a school in Cap Haitien. She pays for a relative to keep her during the week and for transportation to and from her home, about 25 minutes from Cap, on the weekends. Marg and I believe all children should have the opportunity to go to school to learn. As you can see, we are about $2,000 short of sending these hardworking and deserving children to continue their education. If you are able to help us in being able to send them – we know they will be truly thankful.
The next priority we have is feeding programs. We have 2 main schools we help and one we do when we have “extra” money. These schools work very hard at trying to provide a hot meal for their students, as it is most likely the only full meal they will get in a day. St. Agnes School is the first school we were involved with, even before Project Precious started. This is an all-girls school with about 750 students from preschool through grade 13. The cost of a meal is about 60 cents per student per day. Christ the King School has about 300 students from kindergarten through grade 6 and the costs there are the same. The third school is Dominque Savio which has about 300 students from preschool to grade 6
Other requests we get is for ongoing new/renos/upgrading of schools in all the areas we work in. Father Charles currently has a 4-classroom renovation he is working on and it is about 50% complete on a $35,000 CAD project.
You have all been so generous, in the past, when we have asked for help. We believe you will be again. If you are able to help us, you can do so through our website projectprecioushaiti.org or you can make out a cheque to St. Joseph’s Church; TAG it Project Precious Haiti OR HBS Haiti and send it to: St. Joseph’s Church, 96 Huron Street, Stratford ON N5A 5S6.
The Haitian people are always so amazed at how supportive the Canadian people are to them. They always want us to THANK YOU for your amazing support in helping us “Keep Hope Alive in Haiti”.
May God bless you all and keep you safe and healthy.
Jim and Marg
Stecie Grade 6
Starna Grade 2