After a long wait, St. Maria Goretti School in Baie de Henne finally opened on Monday, October 6. The school was originally supposed to welcome children at the beginning of September, but the start of the school year was delayed by more than a month due to a combination of nationwide security issues and a local natural disaster.

The situation was especially complicated by floods that hit the area last week. Heavy rains made schools temporarily inaccessible, destroyed roads, and forced local residents to focus on repairing their homes. Despite this, the local communities came together to ensure that children would have the opportunity to return to education.

“It was a difficult time for all families,” says one of the teachers. “But now, with the school open, we see relief and joy on the children’s faces. Education remains a priority for us, even as unrest across the country and nature test our patience.”

Work on flood repairs throughout the village and road restoration will continue to minimize the risk of further complications in case of repeated rains. A collection by the Archdiocesan Charity has been announced to support this effort. Nevertheless, optimism among residents is evident – the school year in Baie de Henne has started with hope that, despite the challenging conditions, it will be successful.

Roman Musil, Coordinator for Haiti