School Children of Fond Tortue
In December, 2024, Just Haiti made an appeal to you, our supporters, on behalf of Fond Tortue, home of our oldest coffee grower association. This small community had recently received many families fleeing violence from the outskirts of Port-au-Prince, among them 87 children who had arrived to this remote region with virtually nothing. We asked for your help to finance their enrollment in local schools. Thanks to you, we succeeded in raising the funds needed to cover the cost of tuition and supplies for all of the children.
Just Haiti was delighted to receive pictures of these uniform-clad children and piles of school supplies. The community also sent videos expressing relief and gratitude on behalf of school staff, the students, and their parents. The speakers repeatedly shared that these families had no source of income to pay for school costs, nor did the schools have the resources to cover the expenses. Francois Lominy, president of the local coffee growers association, shared, "The parents of the children also thank you, because if it wasn't for your help, the children...would be vulnerable because gangs recruit from children who are out of school."
Ms Delcarme LUCIEN, principal of Saint Elisabeth school in Fond Tortue
She sends thanks on behalf of the staff and all the parents of the students who have benefited from Just Haiti's financial assistance in helping pay the tuition of the students. The parents of those students have fled from Gressier and Port-au-Prince because of the insecurity in those areas. Their financial situations are precarious with no means of income.
The school had been affected with this influx of students and had fallen in financial hardship, with difficulty paying its own staff. The parents could not find the words to express their gratitude to Just Haiti. She also thanks the local civilian leadership (I think it is Francois & Co) in finding this source of financial support for the school. She takes the opportunity to encourage JH to continue to help the students and the school next year as the situation will likely persist.
Ezekiel GUERRIER, principal of the adventist school in Fond Tortue
He says that it is the spirit of God which guided JH to see the necessity of helping the many children who had to flee Port-au-Prince and other localities and take refuge in Baraderes. He thanks JH for helping pay the tuition and providing school supplies for those students. He prays that God will help JH do even better next year for the children and their parents who may continue to have financial difficulties sending them to school.
Parent Manolite ALPHONSE
He thanks JH for helping so many students who have been internally displaced in the country from Port-au-Prince and other localities. He asks God to bless JH's work and hopes that JH would continue to help those students next year as their parents will likely continue to be unable to pay the tuition.
Student Ernest Montinar
The student thanks Just Haiti and says that he has benefited from the program. He was living with parents in Port-au-Prince with his parents, going to school there until they had to flee to Baraderes. His parents now have no means to pay his school tuition. The local program coordinator in Baraderes had accepted him into the program. He has also received school supplies which he and his parents had not been able to afford him.
