Taking Education In Haiti To Another Level

Rebuilding a Nation

PITCH
   Every child should have the right to education. Kids living in developed countries take this for granted. Education shapes us, the children. As children, we grow up and shape the world. Our success, our future depends on now. Unfortunately, not nearly enough children will ever get the opportunity. This can be said for children living in developing nations. 

   In early 2010, an earthquake struck in Leogane, Haiti, which is located about 25 kilometres away from the capital city of Haiti, Port-Au-Prince. An estimated 3 million people were affected by the earthquake. It is estimated that 250,000 residences and 30,000 commercial buildings were severely damaged. As you can guess, many of these buildings were schools. As mentioned, Port-Au-Prince is the capital city of Haiti. As of 2012, the population was estimated at 1,234,800. The literacy rate in Haiti is one of the lowest in the world, at 52.9%. An estimated 1.3 million children had their schooling disrupted because of the devastating earthquake. Only fewer than 30% of children reach the 6th grade in Haiti.

   All kids should have the right to education and bright futures. This project is the start of the development of the world. The destruction of the earthquake should be put behind this nation. It's time to start building.

CRITICAL NEED
   Why is it taking education in Haiti to another level important? All children should have education. I want to bring that 52.9% up to at least 75%. I want to bring up the amount of kids that reach 6th grade from 30% to 90%. Going to high school should ensure that their future is bright. Kids who want to learn will finally have a safe learning environment to go to. Lastly, I want to rebuild the schools that were taken down in the earthquake. It is said that to rebuild all the buildings, it would cost 479 million dollars. Obviously Haiti does not have that kind of money, but this project will help them start to rebuild what they once had.

IMPACT
   This project will not only benefit Haiti, but will also benefit the world. Although the project will start in Haiti, that does not mean that it will end there. As we start the movement, more and more people will become involved. This will be the beginning for many developing countries. It will start with education, but will lead to life lessons, a brighter future, and soon, a better world.

FEASIBILITY

Project Timeline; I aim for this project to take place during the Summer of 2014. I chose this date because of the geography of Haiti (summer is not a rainy season for them), as well as the fact that I encourage students to volunteer. Because students don't have school in the summer, I think it would be good for them as well as me that they have this opportunity. I will also get the support the project needs. We will begin at the beginning of July, 2014, and will end August 2014 for students, and September 2014 for anyone wishing to stay the full three months.

   To help me get started with this project, I will be contacting Staples and Home Depot. Staples has a past of doing donation drives for schools in need. To start schools in Haiti, I will need basic supplies such as pencils, notebooks, and erasers. Staples will hopefully donate chairs and desks as well. I will contact Home Depot to donate building items such as bricks, wood, the cement, and any other materials needed to build a school.

   For this project, I will require about $65,500 dollars.

• Start-up money = $15,000 (transportation, food, living)
• Desks = $4,000 ($70 each x 200)
• Pencils = $100 ($20 x 144 pencils)
• Erasers = $338 ($1.69 x 200)
• Notebooks = $1000 ($1.00 x 1000)
• Wood x Cement x Bricks = $45,000

Note that we will also be accepting donations from Home Depot as well at Staples.

LAST POINTS

•    There are many private schools in Haiti, in which families cannot afford   
•    Haiti has the lowest enrolment rate for primary education in the Western Hemisphere.  

  
ABOUT ME
  
    My name is Julie Engler. I am 15 years old and attend Bill Crothers Secondary School, located in Ontario, Canada. I am a provincial competitive gymnast, and I also love to snowboard. When I believe in something, I am very passionate about it.

Works Cited
"2010 Haiti Earthquake." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 17 Nov. 2013. Web. 18 Nov. 2013.
"The Education System in Haiti." Rubicon Educational Foundation. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Nov. 2013.
"Geography of Haiti." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 22 Nov. 2013. Web. 22 Nov. 2013.