Solèy Haiti Newsletter
As a result of COVID19, we had no choice but to defer our 2020 Volunteer Programme. While the Solèy team was extremely disappointed, we had to prioritise the health and safety of our volunteers, partners, and the local community we work with in Haiti. In spite of this, we were delighted to be able to go ahead with a housing project during the summer.
Our partners in Gros Morne, the RJM, selected Marcel Charleron as the beneficiary of the housing project. Marcel, who supports his three children by working as a tailor, had been living with his children in a mud house with a tin roof, which was badly damaged during the most recent earthquake in the area. Boz Fritznel, our construction partner, inspected the site and was happy that it was suitable for the design of the house he had in mind. Once our partners were happy to proceed, we transferred the funds and construction began in late July.
Over 6 weeks, Boz Fritznel and his team of skilled labourers constructed a new home, designed to withstand earthquakes, for Marcel and his family. Boz Fritznel chose his construction team from skilled labourers from the area surrounding where the house was built in order to create some employment in that area.
It was important for us that this housing project did not increase the risk of anyone catching COVID19. Boz Fritznel completely agreed and ensured that all necessary health and safety measures were followed on-site and if anyone were to experience any symptoms they would have to self-isolate. Thankfully, the health and safety measures were adhered to and there were no issues with COVID19 on site.
Boz Fritznel sent regular updates, including the photos you can see here, of the progress he and his team were making on the project. It was exciting to see how quickly an empty site was developing into a safe and secure home.
The funds Solèy Haiti transferred covered every aspect of the project, from the construction materials to the wages of the skilled construction workers themselves. None of it would have been possible without the generosity of our supporters and we want to take this opportunity to thank you. The donations from our supporters allowed us to provide 6 weeks of employment for 16 skilled labourers and to construct a safe and secure home for Marcel and his family.
The Fr Tony Wing
While it remains unclear when Solèy Haiti will be able to restart our summer volunteer programme, we are planning a significant construction project with our partners in Gros Morne in memory of Fr. Tony Coote.
The ‘Fr. Tony Wing’ project aims to construct four new classrooms for ‘Lekol Jezi Mari’, where Fr. Tony worked with our partners, the RJM. This school is located in Fon Ibo, an isolated area of Gros Morne. Currently, Lekol Jezi Mari can only accommodate students up to the 6th grade (6th class in the Irish system). The planned ‘Fr. Tony Wing’ will allow children from Fon Ibo to complete 7th, 8th, and 9th grade in their local school as well as alleviating the school’s overcrowding problem; 1st grade class recently enrolled 102 students.
With extra classrooms, the school will provide increased opportunities for students to complete their schooling up to the 9th grade. In turn, this will allow more students to go on to attend the free public school in Gros Morne and ultimately sit the ‘Philo’, the Haitian equivalent of the Leaving Certificate, which is the only means of attending university in Haiti. Education is a key means for individuals to create happy and prosperous lives while simultaneously benefiting the local community. The Fr. Tony Wing in Lekol Jezi Mari will directly increase education opportunities in the area, benefitting the individual children, the area of Fon Ibo, and Gros Morne more widely.
Our construction partner, Boz Fritznel, has provided an estimated budget of €25,000 for this project. So far, we have raised over €11,000 from parish collections in Mount Merrion and Kilmacud and our 5k Fun Run Fundraiser. We want to thank all of our donors for their fantastic generosity and continued support. If you haven’t already, you can still take part in the 5k Fun Run until April 13th – run, walk, or even cycle 5k, share your pics on Instagram/Facebook tagging Solèy Haiti, and follow this link https://cutt.ly/kcsRSJo to donate! Share the link with friends and family and get them involved in the 5k too! Every donation will take us closer to our fundraising target and help us make the Fr. Tony Wing a reality.
If you would like to support the ‘Fr Tony Wing’ project in any way, email us at soleyforhaiti@gmail.com.
