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| SOS Hermann Gmeiner School in Haiti - photo courtesy of Sophie Preisch |
October 19, 2011: This October, hundreds of excited children in new school uniforms began the school year at the SOS Hermann Gmeiner Schools in Santo and Cap Haitien,
Haiti. This year, over 250 new students have enrolled at the SOS School in Santo where they are receiving a free, quality education.
Before the earthquake, only 500 students attended the The SOS School in Santo. The school has since been extended. Today, 1,190 students attend classes there. This intake of 238% can be attributed to the growing number of families SOS is supporting through Family Strengthening Programs. These programs target disadvantaged families by offering their children a free education while also providing support to the parents, enabling them to provide and care for their children.
SOS strives to enroll as many children as possible in SOS Schools while also improving the quality of teaching. During August this year, a total of 87 teachers and trainers from the SOS Schools in Santo and Cap Haitien participated in the second phase of a teachers’ training with Quisqueya University. The goal is to ensure that the teachers receive the training necessary to provide the best possible education to the students.
SOS Children’s Villages firmly believes that improving access to free and quality education are necessary first steps towards rebuilding Haiti. In addition to extending the original SOS School in Santo, SOS is now planning the construction of a second school in the area. The new school will have 14 classrooms in order to educate hundreds of local children.
You can help SOS provide quality education to children around the world. Make a donation today to support SOS Children’s Villages and Hermanny Gmeiner Schools in Haiti and around the world.