Empowering Adult Handicapped Haitians

In the midst of severe times in Haiti, St. Vincent's adult residents bring the brightness of their solidarity, working toward a better future. We have much good news to share!

First, the scholarship recipients who have been working from their home campus with a tutor have returned to school! Their high school year will be extended into the summer, to make up for lost time. It may seem odd that our young adults are still in high school, but due to these interruptions, many high schoolers may be 19 or 20 or older! The tutoring using brailleurs and specialized cell phones (funded by you!) has allowed our students to maintain their skills during the closure.

Second, the dream to start a vocational education program is taking root at St. Vincent’s! The adult residents, who have a variety of job skills and abilities, are ideally suited as coaches in a vocational program. For instance, a blind adult can best work with a blind young person who wants to learn to manage the sound system for a musical group; a deaf adult is best able to demonstrate to a young deaf person how to keep inventory on the computer; an adult who uses a wheelchair is the best guide for the trade (and art!) of wheelchair repair.

The adults have submitted a proposal to St. Vincent’s Center to implement a pilot program for graduates who prefer to learn a vocation rather than continue their formal education. 

Members of St. Vincent’s Board have expressed interest in working with the adults to establish a variety of small businesses that can be the vehicles of vocational experience. Being considered are: 
• sound system management for events
• computer skills for small business
• wheelchair repair
• solar panel assembly
• bicycle repair

In addition, St. Vincent’s small restaurant, Bar Resto, will be the ideal place for several kinds of learning, starting with culinary classes by Judith, our GlobalGiving funded chef!

The funds you have provided over the last quarter contributed to these miraculous accomplishments given the horrendous gang violence, basic resource scarcity, exorbitant inflation, and governmental paralysis. Our adult community continues to be a beacon of hope amidst the darkness of Haiti at this time. We thank you for contributing to this light.