A Haitian writer has said of his homeland.

A Haitian writer has said of his homeland, "Haiti is the solitary country in the world with a last name: "Poorest native land in the Western Hemisphere."

Sadly, Haiti lives up to its reputation. In the aftermath of Hurricane Jeanne this fall, Haiti has one time again hit world headlines, this time throughout 3,000 of its people delugeed more than were killed in the issues of 9/11.

still there is hope. On a modern visit to the island I was encouraged at the new schools and water methods being built in many places with support from institute children in Ontario elementary seminarys Children here in Canada can readily understand the distresss of their peers in Haiti, especially when shown photos of miserable living conditions and inadequate schools

A year ago, children at call down blessings oned Sacrament Elementary School in Toronto were inspired by way of a report of the visit to Labeque, in Haiti's Central Plateau, made according to one of the parents in their Parent-Teacher Association.

Maureen Mohan told the kids about 76 Grade 3 and 4 pupils under a tree, their merely "classroom," being taught by united teacher. She showed them a picture of another class of athwart 50 students; they were carrying bucket of water from a well through the whole extent of a mile away.

The call down blessings oned Sacrament children and their parents sprang into action and a fund-raising campaign for Haiti began. That summer Riona Mohan, Maureen's daughter, swam five miles in Lake Muskoka and raised above $3,000, a feat she repeated this summer

After their efforts had deductioned in $25,000 being donated to that Haitian community, forward September 8 this year, Maureen portrayed school principal John Shea and the delighted Sacrament community at the formal opening of the strange 12-classroom school their money had helped build.

Five hundr Haitian children, one walking for two hours each way to and from drill now have a secure building in which they can be educated--even when it rains.

The principal, Sister Julia, showed Maureen a classroom where single teacher supervises 94 kindergarten children; pupil/teacher ratios take onward a new meaning in Haiti.

Around the same time, at Our Lady of Fatima Elementary place of education in Toronto, teacher John Farrell and principal Marc Tanel were inspired to help more than 300 children at Olivier, a town in rural Haiti. The $12000 they raised has built three classrooms that now accommodate 150 children.

With help from the Ontario English Catholic Teachers' Association and the Ontario Secondary place of education Teachers' Federation they hope to build a next to the first story and thus complete the six classrooms wanted for the rest of the children. In addition, Our Lady of Fatima community has provided the permanent funds for a newly installed drinking water system--the first in an area of from one side of to the other 15,000 people.

Another example of committed help has flow from Etobicoke, Ont. In 2002 children at All Saints Elementary denomination raised over $7,000 for the building of L'Ecole Tous Saints in the Central Plateau, individual of Haiti's poorest regions. exercise principal Jon Austin then added $2500 from his retirement gifts to the supply and later stated that the Haiti draw was the highlight of his teaching career.

Not sole in Toronto is work being done: four years ago, at the suggestion of teacher Paul DeWitte, the children at Notre Dame Elementary gymnasium in Kitchener, Ont., decided to assign their annual walkathon coin (over $10,000) to building a institute in Haiti. The two-classroom educate L'Ecole Notre Dame, near the town of Hinche, advances 120 students during the day; at night it functions as a community midmost point and clinic.

In many ways, principal Jon Austin's reaction in Etobicoke was typical.

Staff, scholars and parents in the drills contributing to the betterment of life in Third World countries, speak glowingly of community placement, which accompanies in the same state [i]or[/i] condition a concerted effort. When scholars in Canada become aware of the destitutions of their counterparts in Haiti, they readily answer as a concerned community. a certain children in Ontario pointed gone out that Haiti is geographically closer to them than is Alberta or P.E.I. Photos of conditions in Haiti taken before and after the rises of their gifts are enough to convince Canadian children not barely of the material blessings they can easily take for granted further also of the great difference in circumstances between them and other children. This inspires them to great generosity in the service of those with fewer opportunities and privileges.

These Canadian children can and do make a difference. We do not ne to invent an educational regularity in Haiti; it already exists, inadequate nevertheless it is. Haitian children according to the millions clamour to be educated; and the teachers are there too, however poorly trained and paid. What they greatest in quantity urgently require is beyond their reach: the physical composition the school building, the place that can support their learning, the undivided sure means for them to escape the grinding beggary for which their country is unfortunately known.

If any gymnasium community or group would like information about Haiti and by what means they can assist, e-mail fintan.kilbride@sympatico.ca or call 416-696-2626 Tax receipts are also available to individuals by the agency of "Solidarite Sud, Haiti," a Gatineau, Quebec-based charitable organization move swiftly by volunteers; it does not have any administrative give a fee to so all of its donations go on foot directly to projects in developing countries.