English in Mind Institute (EIM) provides high quality, affordable English classes to adults in Port-au-Prince, along with job placement assistance. English education opens doors to employment, promotions, university scholarships and more - in a country where most of the population doesn't have formal employment, and lives on dollars per day. EIM is Haitian-led and serves as a platform of advancement for over 200 students (more than 40% women).
Across Haiti this year, social unrest and protests against government corruption have led to extended shutdowns of transportation, services and schools. At EIM we made the difficult decision to cancel classes for a large part of the 2019-2020 academic year so far, but we are determined to continue paying our teachers and to ensure our students can finish the school year and take exams.
The funds we raise will go toward the cost of our 2019-2020 school year. It includes all the books, copies, certificates, and staff needed to complete our annual exams before September 2020. We're committed to keeping our staff fully employed despite forced cancellations during the protests. We're also committed to finishing the school year on time, which means a tightened more rigorous exam period.
We don't just teach English, we help our students use English to find work. In fact, in Haiti someone with a high school degree who speaks English will often be chosen for work over someone with a university degree who does not. It's just that powerful.
