Imagine a world where only 1/3 of children attend school. And imagine that in that world, those that are lucky enough to be enrolled still hike up long rocky hills to arrive at class and learn in buildings that lack floors, electricity and bathrooms.
The committee from First Presbyterian Church in Greenwich didn’t set out to build schools in Haiti, but after supporting hospitals in the country after the devastating 2010 earthquake, they couldn’t turn their back on a small school in St. Marc, optimistically named LEcole Perfection.
Here the children were learning in conditions that wouldn’t be allowed for canine training, yet they were turning out some of the best test scores in the nation. The children arrive daily in the uniforms their families have scraped and saved to buy. The teachers work for little and sometimes no pay, but the commitment to education and what that can mean is strong.
The FPCG mission committee committed $50,000 to buy new desks and equipment for the children but quickly realized that any items would be quickly destroyed in the ramshackle building that lacked doors and windows that closed, and a much needed floor. So a small group from the church decided to form their own non-profit, Educating Haiti, headed by Stephen Waters and Kim-Marie Evans, their goal a singular one, build these very deserving students a desperately needed school.
On Thursday February 4th they will be hosting a fundraising dinner at First Presbyterian Church with guest speaker Tracy Kidder. The Pulitzer Prize winning author wrote the best selling novel Mountains Beyond Mountains, the story of Dr. Paul Farmer who founded Partners in Health and has served as Clinton’s UN Envoy to Haiti.
If you are interested in attending the dinner or donating to Educating Haiti, please contact Kim-Marie Evans at kmevans@me.com or any of the committee members Keri Cameron, Susan Williams or Melissa Turner.
The Greenwich International Film Festival is committed to bringing stories such as these to the forefront in the upcoming year, allowing the most vulnerable individuals in the world to have a voice. Every individual has a story and it is our mission to get these stories heard.
