Haiti is the poorest country in this hemisphere. Students need a solid education to help them change their future and the future of their country, but resources are limited. Teachers are lucky if they have their own set of textbooks, and the students often have none. Normal income for a teacher in Haiti is $100 a month. Yes, You read that correctly, One Hundred Dollars… Per Month! These men and women work with students who cannot pay full tuition for their schooling and the government does not fund them. Consequently, sometimes they do not even receive the small pay they were depending on, yet they keep going.
We have a small team going to the Northern part of Haiti, to the city of Cape Haitien to hold a teachers’ training conference. We already have over eighty teachers from local schools registered. We want to provide practical training to help them reach these young people more effectively, and to encourage them in their vital work. This training will be free for these people who invest themselves daily in their students, including printed materials and lunch each day.
We are also working towards having books available for both teachers and students, and not just textbooks, but also fiction, reference books, practical how to manuals. If you had never owned a book, what would it be worth to have a library at your fingertips? We are wanting to partner with the World Reader program to provide durable and economical readers maintained by a “librarian” who would ensure proper maintenance and training for the program. We could provide thousands of books to fill young minds with dreams of what is possible and with the knowledge to make it happen. This could accelerate their education, increasing the students’ knowledge in both depth and quality. We plan to pilot in one school, and then expand the program throughout the school district.
We need your help! Everyone can pray for…
- The teachers attending the conference.
- Daniel Jean Baptiste: School founder and Conference coordinator.
- Jonathan and Jennifer Westcott: Teacher training.
- Bethany Westcott: Grant Developer and Coordinator of reader project.
- Jack Westcott: Working on documentary film and photos to help raise awareness.
- Corey Crawford: Working with local leadership to increase work opportunities and other sustainable programs in the area.
Some can give. This work is only possible because of the generous help of many friends. The Sanford Westcott Foundation is a registered charity, so donations are tax deductible. We pay no salaries and have no offices so that we can use the funds as efficiently and effectively as possible. Donations can be sent to The Sanford Westcott Foundation, P.O. Box 28477, Chattanooga, TN 37421.