Hello everyone! It has been awhile since we have had any formal communication. Between the world of COVID and the current status of Haiti from several devastating events that continue to unfold this has been a tough post to write.
If you are wondering where we went, we didn’t go anywhere. Like the rest of the world we paused for a bit to figure out how to navigate our new world that restricted travel and put all of us in quarantine. In the process of this, like everyone else in the world, the new procedures that changed not just affected work life but family lives too putting strains on how to focus and move forward. So we sat back and thought strategically about our next move.
Then our opportunity came. Travel was opened up again. We felt safe to travel from the United States back to Haiti in June – our first trip back in almost two years. This trip opened up an opportunity to purchase land that has an elementary school as we wanted to move toward this direction. So we began our new journey of acquiring an elementary school and starting to get to know future students. Then July 7th passed and the whole country changed overnight with the assassination of the former President Jovenel Moise. We were stunned and again motionless not sure what this meant for the country or even the organization. So we sat quiet again trying to figure out what to do.
Soon after natural disasters struck with the devastating earthquakes and hurricanes. Again, stunned we sat trying to figure out what we should do and you all received no communication from us.
We apologize for such a long pause from us. It has been devastating every step of the way for awhile and it took us a while to get our bearings. But we are finally moving forward and with much force behind us! Regardless of the situations that encompasses everything in Haiti we are moving forward even if the country may not be ready.
We are setting up a committee to begin fundraising efforts for repairs to the school that are needed and salaries of future teachers. This committee will also help set up logistics of school staff and processes with the goal of opening the school in September 2022. Once funds have been acquired we will move forward with hiring staff and begin training our teachers and then begin recruiting students for the new school.
There is much to do. And although we have a year, we know time passes faster than we want it to. If you see yourself fitting into this new school and plans please reach out to us as we are looking for volunteers that can help with this process. But even support from afar (as you all have done for a few years!) makes all the difference in the world.
As far are volunteers traveling with us, we are holding off for awhile. It is too risky at the moment. But we are hoping the current unfortunate events will pass soon and security will return.
As always, we want to thank everyone that has stood by with us during our existence of the organization! Your support means the world to us!
Ronda and MackLey
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