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We wish you had
a Merry Christmas and a Happy Holiday Season! This year flew by in a blur. The HCDF is pleased with the progress made this year. We just completed construction of a number of additional classrooms and a library. We partnered with P4H Global to conducted a teacher 3 day training conference that drew representatives from 40 schools across the region. All of our teachers are now vaccinated against the Covid-19. 100% of our students once again passed the required national test given to all 9th graders and 13th graders. We are currently constructing apartment rooms and remodeling older areas to accommodate our teachers. We installed projectors and white boards in every secondary school classroom. We purchased an excavator to assist us with farm and road work. We hosted our 2nd annual farm fair. We were able to offer over 6 tons of food as relief following the earthquake that struck Les Cayes and the southern peninsula. In response to the earthquake and mounting security concerns in Port au Prince and nearby areas, the HCDF has begun planning with local leaders for the establishment of a university and trade school scheduled to open September 2022.
Education
School has just ended for the holiday. A new senior class graduated from high school, and more than 70 new students began pre-school. All with hopes of new beginnings, hopes held by their parents that education will provide their children with a better tomorrow and opportunities they were never given. We can break the cycle of generational poverty through education. Our focus has never wavered, and in the uncertain climate of Port au Prince, our focus has led to the beginning of the process of establishing a university and trade school. Our students continue to excel and seize every opportunity that comes their way. As aforementioned, all of our students passed the required national exam. The future has never felt more uncertain with the secondary graduating class. Nonetheless, their commitment to education has never wavered, and the community's belief in education as a means to a better future remains as strong as ever. It is therefore our responsibility to continue providing the highest quality education possible and to strive for improvement at all times.
Farming
The farm recently held its second annual farm fair, which was attended by a number of schools and state officials. Our dream and goal is to kickstart an agricultural revolution in Haiti. It has been institutionally plagued and crippled by unfair trade deals with countries such as the United States, which has forced it to rely heavily on agricultural imports. Farmers rely on subsistence farming as their primary means of economic survival. Most are barely growing enough to feed themselves and their families, let alone sell much. Growing seasons are becoming more unpredictable as a result of climate change, and with most farmers lacking access to any form of irrigation other than rain, crop losses are becoming more common. These are some of the reasons why having a farm is so important. We are changing the way the region views farming and the opportunities it provides by introducing new agricultural techniques and providing access to modern equipment and irrigation systems. We currently farm nearly 1000 acres, the majority of which are in collaboration with local farm owners. Farmers who work with the farm receive at least four times the returns they would have received on their own. We intend to expand our work and include a distribution segment. Soon, we will be able to package and brand our harvest and sell it for a higher profit, assisting us in reaching our goal of self-sufficiency.
University
we have started the work towards opening a university in September 2022. With the recent earthquake in Les Cayes and the growing instability in Port au Prince and surrounding regions, the dangers and inaccessibility to a proper and safe education have become unreasonable and some cases unattainable for many students. The reason the HCDF started the L'Exode school was to help parents have a safe. affordable and quality school to send their children and afford them the option of not having to send their children to the city. It was the same reason we started the secondary school after the 2010 earthquake. We have now began the process of preparing to open a university and trade school in September 2022. If you are interested and would like to help, please visit our fundraising campaign and/or contact me, Lémec Thomas, HCDF president.
Season of Joy and Giving
In Fond des Blancs, most people celebrate Christmas and the holidays by going to church late on Christmas Eve and staying until midnight and into early Christmas Day. Present exchange is not a common tradition in Fond des Blancs households. Every year, the HCDF works hard to ensure that each of our students has a sponsor. Sponsors play an important role in supporting our students' education, as well as in making students feel supported. Your monthly contribution of $40 covers classroom supplies, uniforms, a hot meal every day, and much more. Many sponsors also send gifts on occasion, which is a nice extra touch that every student appreciates. Please click the link below if you would like to sponsor and support a child this holiday season.
Thank You
Our work would be impossible without everyone's support. Thank you for supporting us and believing in our mission. If you have any questions or would like to learn more, please contact me. I would love to talk to you.
With Appreciation,
Lémec Thomas
President
lemecthomas@hcdf.org
619-439-6638