Children of Haiti Project Up and Running!

Raphaelle Cardozo Baker speaks to parents to both announce her upcoming donation to the project and her support for COHP. She also takes the opportunity to back Jocelyne who was speaking against violence with children, (a huge national issue).

UPDATE

Friends and Sponsors

We will open the COHP center May 3 for 51 kids from 4-5 years old who are already screened and registered. They will be served by a team of 3 experienced teachers and 3 aides. Two of the teachers have taught at Union School. Pat Handly-Johnson recently visited to work out the program and curriculum with the staff. Jacqueline Fabius has done a fantastic job as project manager, and Marie Babtiste, Union's Director, has given the project invaluable assistance. Frank Anderson will return to Haiti next week to help ensure that all administrative issues are resolved before the grand opening.

Jacqueline is documenting with photos the progress of our preparations. Please go to and click on the Blog, to see what has been taking place.

Thank you for your support and interest.

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Article from 2 April 2010

Following a seminal meeting of international school and agency representatives in Boston this February, the Children of Haiti Project (COHP) has gained broad institutional and individual support from the international school community. Indeed, COPH intends to open a children's center in Haiti for 25 to 40 aged 5-11 children within the next 60 days.

Initially,the central program goal will be to provide literacy in French and Creole, plus math skills, to a population that has enjoyed limited schooling during their lives. A nutritional and medical program will help ensure that learning is strongly supported.

The Task Force visiting Haiti from March 6-11 has focused on finding the facility and the staff necessary to get the program started. And it looks like we have a four room residence in which we can start the program by May1! With the help of Marie Baptiste of Union School and her staff, a faculty will be in place for the opening, and children will have been screened and admitted. The Task Force volunteers for this mission are Frank Anderson, formerly head of CIC in Valencia, Venezuela; John Randolph, formerly head of AS Casablanca; and Jacqueline Fabious, a 1988 graduate of AIS in Israel, and a Haitian with extensive family and institutional ties to Haiti.

Funding is already in place to ensure that a small program can be initiated and maintained for the first year. The funding goal for year one is $100,000 (to serve 40-50 children), and we are already half way there. All grant funds will be allocated directly to the program in Haiti, and no administrative overhead costs will be involved. All planners and Task Force staff are working as volunteers, and trip expenses are contributed on an in-kind basis.

The Executive Committee hopes that this effort will bring together many schools, faculties and students in our network, to demonstrate this community's concern and ability to elevate the lives and the futures of children who now face an educational vacuum. Those interested in supporting COHP, through donations or services, should visit the exciting new web site just created by Jacqueline Fabious to promote the COHP agenda - www.childrenofhaitiproject.org.

A number of international schools' student councils are already engaged in raising funds to sponsor the inclusion of specific Haitian children in this program. As of March 5, five student councils have already made substantial contributions (over $22,000) to COHP: AIS Riyadh(Saudi Arabia); AS Puerto Vallarta (Mexico); AWTY IS (Houston, Texas); American-British Academy in Oman and WBAIS in Israel. Student organizations at Canadian Academy in Kobe and the American School of The Hague (Netherlands) are also close to making a contribution. And, student and faculty groups at Buffalo State, SUNY (New York) have forwarded a very significant donation.

Our estimates are that every $2,000 to $2,500 will enable the educational, medical and nutritional support of one child for a year. A list of donors is available on the web site, and will be updated weekly. Donors will receive profiles and updates on the children they are sponsoring at CHP.

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