Education as a pillar of reconstruction

Cité Soleil in Haiti’s capital Port-au-Prince is one of the biggest slums on the American continent inhabiting more than 300,000 people. After the heavy earthquake of the 12^th January 2010, a school in Onaasch, a district in Cité Soleil, caved in and 600 children between 3 to 12 years lost the only nearby opportunity for essential education forcing them to march long distances in order to reach the next school in their neighbourhood, which is crowded and preventing efficient learning atmospheres.

HOPE’87 and its project partner Don Bosco – Jugend Eine Welt directed their attention to the importance of reconstruction and future prospects and started the construction of the school of Onaasch in September 2010 reflecting the overall objective of enabling access to education as an important pillar for the long-term redevelopment of Haiti. The building operations continued at full capacity and the school could be completed in September 2011, co-financed by donations of the Recklinghäuser Zeitung, a German newspaper.