Supporting the Bureau Diocesan d’Education, BDE in Haiti

I have been in Haiti now for almost four weeks and have able to see many old friends, meet new friends, and attend the ordination of a good friend, a preschool graduation, and multiple meetings and training sessions for the BDE Hinche. This trip has been very fruitful and I have gained a great deal of information and a much better understanding of the programs of the BDE Hinche and the Catholic School programs in Haiti. Throughout the various training sessions and meetings of the BDE that I was able to attend I heard over and over how much of a role model the Diocese of Richmond was as a supporter of Catholic Education in Haiti. The Diocese of Richmond has many Parishes twinned in Haiti, mostly in the Diocese of Hinche, but it is not this individual parish to school or church support that was being applauded, although it is greatly appreciated by everyone as well, it was more importantly the support of the BDE Hinche. Everyone from the CEEC program manager Mr Tessono, the CRS Haiti representative Carmen Matty-Cervants, the Notre Dame ACE program director TJ D’Agostino to the Director of the Central BDE in Port au Prince praised the Diocese of Richmond for recognizing the need to support the local Haitian Leadership of Catholic Education in the Diocese by establishing a partnership at the Diocesan level with the BDE. The financial support the Haitian Education Fund of the Diocese of Richmond sends to the BDE Hinche has helped to make the BDE Hinche one of the strongest in the country, which has resulted in the selection of the Diocese of Hinche to participate in Pilot Programs like the Teacher Training program and the ASER reading program. In addition regular visits to Haiti from members of the Board of the Haitian Education Fund and the BDE in Hinche to the US have helped to create a strong relationship which makes it possible to share ideas, successes and concerns and work together in partnership. By the Grace of God I came to Haiti during this four week period and was able to be present and participate as a supporter of the BDE Hinche, I made this trip now to be here for the ordination I had no idea these other training sessions or meetings would also happen now. I am very happy to be able to be here and to gather additional information to share with the HEF Board that will allow us to better understand the programs so that we can support the BDE in it mission of improving Education in Haiti and also to be here as a partner showing support for the BDE Hinche in their work. Because of the regular support from some Richmond Parishes and many generous people in the Diocese of Richmond and beyond who support the fundraising efforts of the Haitian Education Fund the BDE Hinche has been able to operate with a consistent staff of supervisors and directors to assist all Catholic Schools in the Diocese of Hinche in strengthening the quality of education they provide. In most other Diocese in Haiti they have no outside support and have very limited staff and even more limited capacity to help govern and support the schools in their Diocese. Supporting the BDE, the Head of the Catholic Schools in the Diocese, is essential to long term growth and support of all Catholic Schools in the Diocese. I hope by the Grace of God, the Generosity of the supporters of the HEF and the increased awareness of Richmond Parishes of the role of the BDE in supporting their individual twin this support of the HEF can continue and expand so that the resources are available to support and improve education for years to come. Supporting the Local Haitian Leadership is the key to working in partnership to help support and strengthen the Educational System in Haiti. The individual twinning parish support is essential with the current economic situation in Haiti for these schools to continue, but we should all be thinking of how we are helping them help themselves as well, and finding a way to provide support to the BDE of your Diocese does just that. After all, the end goal of the twinning relationship should be to work together to find a solution to the problems that are preventing the local actors from supporting themselves not to have partial ownership of an individual school in Haiti. In a few moments I will attend Mass with the Suppervisors and other participants of the BDE training session and then tomorrow morning I head to Port au Prince so that I am able to fly home to the US on Tuesday. I have been richly blessed to be in Haiti for the last four weeks.