We Are Building More Than A School
COHH, in partnership with the Building Goodness Foundation of Charlottesvile, VA, ("BGF") commenced construction on the third classroom building of it elementary and secondary school campus in May 2019. Upon completion of the building, the campus will have a total of nine new classrooms for children in grades 1-9. The plan for the campus also includes one or more buildings for science, media and administrative space. The campus will be fully WiFi functional and will accommodate remote teacher training and student learning. We continue to look for partners to help with this aspect of the campus.
BGF brings together volunteers from the United States and workers from the community to build the school. The expert trades people from the US provide training for the local men and women at the job site. People who worked on the first two buildings are now working on the third building employing the skills they have learned. Those skills are also being used locally on other jobs. In addition, materials and supplies are sourced from within Haiti on a first choice basis when available. The impact upon the community over the past 4 years has been significant and beneficial. The community participants exude a sense of ownership of the school project.
The community in general has been supportive of the school and often help with planting and harvesting crops that are used at the school. Parents and caregivers take responsibility for making sure the children attend school. The attendance rate of the children at the school is at 97%. Moreover, in some instances, the parents and caregivers have sought further education for themselves to keep up with the children.
COHH is celebrating its 15th year in Haiti. The time seems to have passed quickly, but COHH can recall virtually every day of the difficulties associated with its tenure. The children were not born in 2004 at the inception of the school. Now, COHH has children that will be graduating 9th grade in June 2020. Little do they know that it has all been made possible because of the many donors and volunteers whom they have never met, have been willing to generously support the mission of COHH. Yet, rather than becoming easy or common place, the road for the future of COHH and children is more challenging than ever. For this reason, COHH continues to reach out to the world for donors to provide a sustainable platform to achieve its mission.
