(an outdoor market in Petit Goave, Haiti. photo by: gofbw.com)Two days ago I met with members of the New Trier High School staff who, along with Little By Little, are partnering with us to rebuild St. Joseph School in Petit Goave, Haiti. Lots of ideas were shared about the site of the school, architectural plans, the timing of rebuilding, sourcing materials, labor, funding and more.
It was a positive meeting in many regards. I was pleased to hear that the site of St. Joe's has water and electric. These are two crucial elements relative to constructing the school. Without them we would be in serious trouble. Though we are a long way from going into Haiti to start construction, the team agreed that at some point in the near future we will need to go in and make an assessment of the situation. Hopefully that is something that will take place within the next couple of months.
We have plenty of connections to Haitians living in the Chicagoland area who have close friends and family in Petit Goave. This will enable us to get transportation within Haiti, find Haitian workers to help build the school, locate housing, provide the assistance needed for obtaining building materials and so much more.
We continue to pursue all types of fundraisers in order to make the project a success. It seems likely that we will be able to raise all the needed money to make the school a reality.
One thing is certain, we are all on the same page in terms of helping the community. What particularly impressed me was, to a person, our sense of doing what the people of Petit Goave desire. Each of us voiced our concern that we have to be sensitive to the needs of the people of Haiti and that we simply not barge in. We care about and respect the citizens of Petit Goave.
We are continue to be steadfast in our support of Haiti.
Dick Flesher
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