Background:
Jabouin is a small and poor village located in the commune of Port-a-Piment; a 1 ½ to 2 hours walking distance from the center of town. On October 4th, 2016, Hurricane Matthew totally destroyed the area, including its only school.Since that time, KPP has been assisting the school with payroll and school supplies.
Since the passage of Matthew, the school of Jabouin has been on life support. Classes are held under a tarp or in the open air when the heat is unbearable. When it rains, the kids are unable to attend school; at times for several days in a row.The tarp now must accommodate 4 classes, 4 teachers and 118 students.
The community of Jabouin, and the School Principal, Mr Mondin Saint-Cyr, requested our help, your help, to build a structure where the children can be safe from the elements.
KPP accepted the challenge, and since late in 2017, KPP has been making plans to rebuild the school.
The Plan:
KPP contacted 2 local firms for an estimate to build a modest school of 4 rooms, 1 Office with Storage and 4 Latrines. The estimates varied between USD 20.000 and 25.000. It is noted that some work and materials would be provided by the community.
KPP verified the deed of a piece of land donated by Mr Fresner Villarson,a local resident , and it also verified that the school had been certified as a community school for the commune of Jabouin.
KPP contacted different international organizations that build schools in Haiti. One such organization is considering our request. The engineer has so far made 2 site visits, and held a meeting with the community. A second community meeting is scheduled for April the 18th. If the project is approved, the organization would provide an engineer, foremen and some building materials. The community, with the help of KPP, would provide sand, rocks, water as well as the workforce.
KPP held 2 drives to collect money for this project. A Giving Tuesday drive in November, and a Pledge drive held at our December gala provided us with a total of $ 5377.
On Friday, March 2nd, 4 members of KPP Inc, having left from the States, traveled to Jabouin. They met the School Director, the students, the parents, members of the community. A meeting was held with the adults where Frantz J Jean, President of KPP, discussed with the residents the plan of construction and the expected involvement of the community. The group also visited the proposed site. On March 15th , Frantz J Jean and KPP member Emiel Jacob met with the engineer to review the requirements of the building organization.
Since our visit:
On March 16th, the community held a “Konbit” to clear the site of all foliage, rocks and debris….
On March 27th , sand and rocks were transported to the site by the residents, mostly parents of the students.
As of now:
KPP has not yet received a written commitment from the organization. If our request is denied, we will continue with our plans to erect the school, using one of the local builders.
We do understand that the money collected is not yet sufficient to build the entire school. But we have made moving to a better structure a priority, and we will start with what we have, and add rooms as funds become available.
By the next school year, the children of Jabouin should be moving into a better school.
We thank each and every one of you who is helping to make this dream a reality. Should you wish to contribute to this cause, please contact us at: potapiman@yahoo.com or call at 516-2706144
