THANK YOU for sponsoring the buildOn school in Baie Demesle, Haiti.

Before the 2010 earthquake, Haiti was already the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, with extreme poverty rates as high as 84% in rural areas. After the quake, thousands of people fled Port au Prince and relocated to the villages surrounding Les Cayes, further decimating the economy. According to the World Bank’s last measure in 2009, 52 % of the total population in Haiti was illiterate, and 60% of children in Haiti abandon primary school before the 6th grade. One-third of girls over the age of six never go to school at all.

Baie Dumesle is a large community founded approximately 300 years ago. Between Grand and Small Baie Dumesle, there are an estimated 12,000 residents. The primary income-generating activities are fishing, farming, and livestock breeding. Villagers have access to piped water as well as nearby rivers and streams, and the closest medical clinic is 3 km away.

With your help, the people of Baie Demesle now have increased access to education that will help effect change in the lives of children, parents, and grandparents for generations. Each new school helps Haiti increase literacy rates one community at a time.

BELOW: a young girl attends class in a village in haiti.

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