The January 2010 earthquake in Haiti devastated a nation that was already the poorest in the Western hemisphere. The magnitude 7.0 earthquake, and its more than 50 aftershocks, left an estimated 316,000 dead, 300,000 injured, and displaced over 1,000,000. In addition, the disaster caused nearly $8 billion in infrastructural damage.
The devastation of the earthquake resonated with all Haitians, rich and poor alike, but arguably the population most affected by the disaster was the children. Many children lost their parents, siblings, friends, and relatives and were left to fend for themselves. Even those children who did not lose their families still suffered severe psychological trauma.
Since Haiti is a very religious nation most children were brought up believing that God was responsible for much of what happened in the world, and therefore many believed that they had done something wrong and were now being punished. The trauma suffered by these young children was unimaginable, and without anywhere else to turn, many joined gangs.
Education and rebuilding:
Joel Jean-Pierre, the Minister of Education, believed that the best way for these children to get their lives back on track was through returning to school. Unfortunately, the billions of dollars of infrastructural damage included much of the Haitian educational system. Nearly half of all primary schools were destroyed, and according to Jean-Pierre around 40% of all the country’s educational infrastructure was in shambles.
With the entire Haitian government in limbo and a large portion of the country in ruins, there were little funds or resources available to rebuild the schools. Still, Jean-Pierre was convinced that the best way to recovery for the nearly 3 million students affected by the quake, as well as for the future of Haiti as a nation, was to return the students to school as quickly as possible.
Due to the lack of resources, this was no easy task. Jean-Pierre teamed up with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), UNICEF, the Red Cross, and many other international NGO’s to provide temporary schools across the country. Many of these temporary school buildings were tents set up on the edges of rubble filled towns. But, to the students these makeshift schoolrooms were much more than tents. They were a safe haven to get away from the devastation and destruction that had now consumed their lives.
For the first few months, the normal school curriculum was put on hold. Instead, an altered syllabus called for students to participate in cultural events such as singing, dancing, and creative expression to help relieve stress. The new curriculum also included educating students on earthquakes as a natural and scientific phenomenon, rather than a religious one. The strategy was very effective, and by engaging with other students and returning to a normal routine many students have found hope for the future.
What’s being done now:
The newly sworn in Haitian President, Michel Martelly, has embraced the importance of education in rebuilding the nation. President Martelly has stated that education is his top priority, and last month he announced the institution of a new program, the National Fund for Education (FNE). The FNE will provide US$360 million over five years to help return free education to out-of-school students. The funds will come from a new tariff on international phone calls ($0.05/minute) and international money orders ($1.50).
The program began this week, and FNE leaders anticipate that they will have the resources to send 350,000 students to school by September 2012. The program is expected to provide free education for nearly 1.9 million students over the five year period. Many international leaders, including UNESCO Director General Irina Bokova, have welcomed the program because this commitment legitimizes the role of education in the rebuilding effort.
To learn about the rebuilding of the La Vallee community and how Givology has supported the education of students in Haiti please click here.
16 JUN 2011