Jessica Jean-Francois, Program Assistant, June 27th 2011
This June, the University of Scranton’s International Service Program (ISP) was able to join our team in the field and assist with our ongoing Education, Nutrition, Healthcare, and Emergency Response Programs. ISP is a student service program that selects the best and most capable applicants to participate in various mission trips in developing countries throughout the hemisphere. The hope of each trip is to revitalize students in their principles of “devotion to justice, dedication to service and principled respect for the dignity of people.” After their week with Hope for Haiti, students walked away with a better sense of self, an increased desire to understand and support existing community structures, and concrete skills with which to evaluate the needs of others.
Through open discussions and long hikes to rural school sites, the University of Scranton students learned about the reality of being a primary or secondary student at the rural and urban schools which Hope for Haiti supports. At the St. Laurent High School outside of Les Cayes, the ISP students discovered that St. Laurent’s 11th grade class will have to transfer schools or stop their education if the school is not able to expand to 12th grade next year. Currently the school is able to provide an education to 7th through 11th grade students, but in order to add a 12th grade, St. Laurent needs to hire new teachers, acquire materials for additional classrooms, and strive to add both computer and chemistry labs. Hope for Haiti supports St. Laurent High School through teacher salary subsidies and in procuring basic schools materials. These efforts can help St. Laurent grow with their students during the next school year.
During our visit to the Infirmary St. Etienne, Hope for Haiti’s primary healthcare facility in downtown Les Cayes, students were moved by the amount of people lined up to receive affordable healthcare. This Hope for Haiti Infirmary is an anomaly in the area, offering outstanding care at a very low cost. Students met with Dr. Steeve and Dr. Elmide, the Haitian doctors who operate this beautiful facility, which houses a pharmacy, a laboratory, two consultation rooms, and a dental clinic.
 Group Photo with the children from Fraternite des Jeunes Orphanage |
 Playing Red Rover with the children from Fraternite des Jeunes Orphanage |
 University of Scranton students with 11th grade students from the Saint Laurent High School after an open discussion |
Arguably the most influential moment of the students’ visit was working with our staff to fill 1,200 Survival Buckets to prepare for Haiti’s upcoming hurricane season. The Survival Buckets include a week’s worth of emergency food, soap, toothpaste and toothbrushes, candles, matches and additional emergency items that can support families for up to one week in the aftermath of flooding or an emergency. Locally procured five-gallon buckets were lined up outside in the heat of the summer sun, while the ISP students worked vigorously to fill them efficiently with critical supplies, knowing the impact that the Survival Buckets will have on numerous families in need.
On the morning of their departure, the University of Scranton students felt proud, having completed a week of challenging and fulfilling activities. These students and their dedicated faculty chaperones now have a better understanding of what it takes – how hard and diligently we must work – to provide effective support to improve the quality of life for the Haitian people. From all of us at Hope for Haiti, we thank you for your service!