Droždín – Experience from school in nature and where to go on holiday. About this is the last letter from of this year from pupils of primary school Droždín to their classmate. Idonel is 17 years old and completes 9th grade. He will open the letter in Haitian Baie de Henne, in the far Caribbean. We are moving from the picturesque Moravian countryside where drinking water flows from the tap to arid and naturally disaster-stricken countries. Idonel lives with his family in a small house where they grow crops and raise cattle. His father produces charcoal. The family is poor. Idonel wants to be a male nurse. Thanks to Czech donors and the Archdiocesan Caritas Olomouc, he will succeed.

Just send 6 500 Czech crowns each year and one poor child from Haiti can go to school, where, in addition to education, gets one hot meal every day. Many children do not have this at home. Pupils and their parents have been supporting Idonel through Caritas for many years. “Just on Wednesday, we organized a Garden Party for our students and the public. Mums baked various goodies and sold them at our fair, which managed to raise money for Idonel’s education,” says Jitka Šidláková from school. According to her, about two hundred people went to the festival. Child sponsorship program in Haiti makes the school year even more diverse and extra ordinary. In the past, they were visited for example by the Indian nun sr. Renee, who has been cooperating with the Archdiocesan Caritas Olomouc and has been helping the poor in the Caribbean for many years. “Children learned about life in Haiti, how their classmate Idonel lives … He’s become a big guy over the years,” smiles the teacher. Droždín is now awaiting Idonel’s report and a report on whether he will continue his studies at secondary school.

In Haiti, the school year ends in mid-June. These days, school leaders send charity reports to supported charities. She then mediates them to adoptive parents. “So far, we have received a school report in Baie de Henne. We are waiting for more and there will be many. Currently, we have 361 children enrolled in the adoption and the number is still growing. The interest in going to school in Haiti is growing. For example, they will open the seventh class in Gonaïves next year, so far they had six classes,” says Klára Lőffelmannová from the Archdiocesan Charity Olomouc.

Haiti is 50 % illiterate. The parents of many Haitian schoolchildren did not attend school themselves. With education, children and young people have a better chance of improving the future for themselves and their entire family. In addition, they will receive hot food as well as advice or medical treatment if necessary. This can save lives.

THANK YOU to Czech donors for their interest and support.

Karolína Opatřilová, ACHO