Empowering Adult Handicapped Haitians

TWO STEPS FORWARD! 

FIRST STEP FORWARD: The adult residents of St.Vincent's Center are running an income-producing business!   The restaurant ("Bar Resto Jovin") is open and serving lunch plus pastries to the staff and visitors to St. Vincent's Center.  And our partners at St. Vincent's, the adult residents who themselves deal with handicapping conditions, are the staff: chef, sous-chef, purchasing and disbursements, serving, busing tables, washing dishes, schmoozing with the guests!  

We have not finished with all the funding needed, but the basics are there and in operation, thanks to you!

WHAT'S NEXT?

• We'll be continuing the fund-raising for a second refrigerator (called a "freez") that will be located in the BarResto kitchen, to avoid the need to cross the campus to bring cold food from the main kitchen.
• We'll be looking for funds a second propane canister (called a "bombonne") so that cooking can continue when one runs out, rather than waiting for the moto driver to take the one tank to refill.

But as you can see, the energy and creativity and patience of the staff (our partners, the adult residents) have overcome these obstacles to launch the dream: lunch service and pastries, FOR SALE!

SECOND STEP FORWARD: Our two sponsored high school students continue to study, to work toward a high school diploma.  A Deaf student started his studies in the fall of 2023; and a student with blindness is in his final year of high school,  studying computer science. The high school is not adapted for blind learners, but our student is managing.  He still has some difficult courses to pass this year, including Physics and Chemistry.  Your gifts will make it possible for him to have a tutor and a Scientific Calculator that speaks, so that he can complete these graduation requirements.

AND THE TEACHING?  Here's our half-step back: As you know, the Bar Resto is the first venue for vocational training for the ninth-grade graduates of St. Vincent's.  Other projects will not be far behind.  Members of CAHSAV who already have specialized skills will soon be taking apprentices: in cooking, computers, and wheelchair repair, for instance!  

However,  the student apprentices have not yet formally started their training: St.Vincents School, Kindergarten to 9th grade,  is under pressure to complete the classes that the students are already taking as prerequisites for their graduation, due to insecurity which sometimes closes the school for a day or even a week.  There is no time in the day to allow students to take their hours of apprenticeship.  But the administration of the school is committed to offering vocational options on the St. Vincent's graduates: that dream is in sight, even though right now it is on hold.