Haiti School of Nursing, France Pictures, Trip Colorado & Cap-Haitien, No Internet Lakay

Bonjou tout moun! Hello Everyone!

And welcome back from France, Sister Rosemary and Rosenie! This photo of them was taken at the base of the Eiffel Tower.

And Great News! Last night Auguste, Starthrower's director of education at Lakay Fondasyon, in Cap-Haitien, emailed with wonderful news!

Brunie, Gaby, Wisly and Alland, the four new grads that Starthrower had sent to register and write entrance exams for a Leogane, Haiti, nursing schooll were ALL bon (accepted)! Congratulations, to you all!!

How I wish I could have been at the kay for the cheers that must have resounded! All of us can be very proud of them.

This relatively-new School of Nursing, begun by Haitian-American Hilda Alcindor, has a demanding curriculum, and as we have been disappointed before, we didn't have high hopes for their success.

However, now that all four students have been accepted (you know what is coming!), we now need to find the money to pay for their tuition! I spoke with Auguste briefly this afternoon about the fees for the nursing school.

The total annual cost for each nursing student in residence is $2,000 USD. Comparatively speaking, this is such a small amount needed to do so much good!

Add that to the money needed for our other students in post-secondary: Vincent is still waiting to find out if he will be able to enter third year of the agriculture degree program; Plenitude was accepted at the private university in Port-au-Prince for a degree in electronics, and Casimyr and Osman were accepted at Teacher's College.

These young people are breaking all stereotypes, beating all odds (see Haiti exam results). I often refer to these students as "our kids'. Not mine, but ours. That is because they are children of the universe -- yours and mine. If we don't support them, who will?

There are many wonderful people who contact us, and offer support in whatever way they are able. They are the foundation of our Starthrower community. Blessings to all of you!

UN May 2002
Here's part of a May 2002 presentation to UN General Assembly Special Session on Children by Children's Forum members Gabriela Azurduy Arrieta, then 13, from Bolivia, and Audrey Cheynut, then 17, from Monaco. I re-read it often.

The statement opened as follows:

"We are the World's Children; We are the victims of exploitation and abuse. We are street children; we are the Children of War; We are the victims and orphans of HIV/AIDS. We're denied good quality education and health care. We are the victims of political, economic, cultural, religious and environmental discrimination."

And closed as follows:

"We are not the sources of problems, we are the resources that are needed to solve them. We are not expenses, we are investments. We are not just young people, we are people and citizens of the world. You call us the Future, but we are also the Present."

And even today, in the Toronto Star, Faith reporter Leslie Scrivener wrote a feature on the value in educating girls in developing countries. But in our opinion, all young people deserve an education. See full article here.

Trip to France ~ More Pictures

Here are more pictures that Sister Rosemary took of Rosenie and Nadeg when she accompanied these young Cap-Haitien Haiti students on the trip to the conference in France.

It's still hard to believe that one of our kids from the poorest of Haiti had the opportunity to travel to France!

Thank you, Sisters of St. Joseph of Toronto!

And in this photo from a ceremony at the start of the conference, Rosenie and Nadege are adding soil from Haiti to the pot.

When soil from every participating country had been added, all soils were mixed together, and seeds were planted.

By closing day of the two week long peace conference, new plants had sprouted.

What a beautiful lesson: One family, one earth. We all have the same basic needs and same basic mandate.

Boulder Colorado Trip
I returned safely from Boulder, Colorado on Sunday night, after a whirlwind weekend of new faces and experiences at the UN committee fund raiser to support our Potable Water Distribution Program in Haiiti.

Many thanks to Jan and Tom, Ann and Oliver who went out of their way to make certain I arrived and departed all activities on time. (Jan, thanks also for a lovely evening with the board!).

To Nancy and the UNA committee: Thank you again for selecting Starthrower Foundation for this program, and for following through with a beautifully orchestrated event.

Condolences
Our condolences go out to Starthrower Jackie on the death of her mother, Eleanor. Our thoughts and prayers are with you.

Trip to Haiti End of September
I am making a trip to Cap-Haitien prior to my next surgery, scheduled for October 20. I will leave Toronto on Monday, September 28 and return on Monday, October 5. And yes, I realize that this is almost the exact date that I was airlifted out of Haiti last fall.

Starthrower's friend, and mine, Mme Marjorie, a retired nurse, will travel with me to Cap-Haitien and stay at the house. I know it's a short visit, but this is better than no visit at all. I really want to see staff and students and reassure them that I am very much with them.

Internet Cap-Haitien Down
We've lost internet contact at Lakay in Cap-Haitien. Auguste says that the 'NetGear' component (router) of our internet set up is kase (broken). Hopefully we can get the internet back up and running while I'm there. It appears that it will need services of a technician or a replacement. We really miss it as cell phone international calls are a lot more expensive.

Congratulations once more to all to our students in Haiti who worked so hard to pass their exams, both high school and entrance to post secondary.

To alll Starthrowers, please keep these young people in your thoughts and prayers and pass along their desire to attend post secondary programs to anyone who might be able to help. A little goes a long way ... a lot of 'littles' go even further!

Beni w
Sharon

Packing Supplies for Haiti, Sponsor Seamstress Business, Student Profile, Paris Trip

Hello, Everyone!

A big Thank You! to Alex and Laura, who traveled from London ON to Starthrower Foundation to pack supplies for Cap-Haitien and to Jane, here in Orangeville.

Thank you, too, to Daniel and Amy who have also volunteered to come pack supplies. We just have to find a time when my energy level can keep up with theirs!

Last week I asked for support for Rose-Youdeline (DOB 03/07/85) who wants to put her newly acquired sewing skills to work making school uniforms. Thanks to Ingrid in Ontario and Dave in New Brunswick for their quick response to her request (see Dave's comments following last week's blog post)

Here is some information about Rose-Youdeline. Her story is very typical of all our students' stories.

Once Rose-Youdeline is set up in her new business, she will be able to support her 5 sisters and 4 brothers. She is the only one of them all who has had the opportunity to go to school.

Her mother died in 1994, her dad is blind and very frail, and requires constant assistance. Her older sister (a year older than Rose) has been mothering the family since she was 10 years old. Since this older sister is currently in hospital (she was injured in a bus accident), Rose-Youdeline is now responsible for taking care of them all.

Whether this older sister lives or dies, someone in the family will have to find the money to pay the hospital bill. In Haiti, unpaid hospital bills mean that someone in the family will go to jail; in this case, it would probably the blind dad.

I know from past experience that the first thing Rose-Youdeline will do when she receives the money for supplies is take a small portion to buy food to feed her family. I also know from experience what her future will be unless drastic changes take place.

She will set up her sewing machine outdoors in the daytime, hunched over it for as many hours as there are daylight. At night, she will move the machine inside (the sewing machine will have more room than anyone in the family) and continue to work until she is exhausted.

Seamstresses are prone to damage to their eyesight, postural muscles and fingers. Fingers usually become arthritic after about 10 years. Someone will always stay home to prevent thieves from taking the sewing machine. It is the most valuable thing they own.

Although Rose-Youdeline knows the challenges she faces, she was ecstatic when Auguste contacted her last week in Sen Rafayel to tell her the good news about her sponsor. However when Auguste contacted Soeur Fernande to ask about buying the sewing machine for her, Soeur told Auguste that the machines she had in stock had all been sold within a day or two to people who had the money at their disposal.

Soeur Fernande will search for and find another machine for Rose-Youdeline. When it arrives, the money will be on hand. This delay is difficult for Rose-Youdeline but she knows that it will happen and is very thankful for sponsor support.

Sewing Machine for Rose-Youdeline

Update on the sewing machine October 2009: The machine as been found, and assembled, and will be delivered to Sen Rafayel so Rose-Youdeline can begin her business. Thanks, Folkie! See more updates on students here.

An update on our Paris traveller-to-be Rosenie (this blog post):
Rosenie has written her exams and begun to hire staff for Starthrower's summer text book restoration program. We have asked for a sponsor to come forward to pay for her second year of the 3 year Kindergarten Teacher program.

And more good news! A group of the most amazing young people on the planet -- the mighty girls of the Golf Road Junior Public School Girls Club, in Scarborough, ON, organized and mentored by Linda, Penny and Nancy -- have collected money to sponsor her. Imagine that! These junior Starthrowers who are actually still Starfish themselves. Thank you each and every one!

I know Rosenie will be so relieved to know that she can continue her studies for another year. Although she excited about the upcoming trip to France, she and Nadege, who will travel with her, both expressed apprehension about traveling so far on their own. They've never been anywhere away from home, let alone on an overseas trip!

Sister Rosemary has decided to accompany them, which makes me feel better as well. Sister Rosemary will not attend the conference sessions but will be present to debrief the girls when needed.

On a personal note:
There is still so much I'd like to say, but I am somewhat handicapped this week. I learned that I have 3 bacterial infections which have been hanging on since the surgery, thereby delaying my recuperation.

Last Friday night, our local hospital (Headwaters, in Orangeville) began intravenous antibiotic therapy three times a day. I have one IV line in my right hand and another on the inside of my left arm. I am at home now with the one on my hand hooked up to a pump which runs 24 hours a day dispensing one antibiotic directly. I carry it with me.

The amazing nurses of St. Elizabeth Health Care come in each morning and evening to administer the other antibiotic through an IV drip, as well, and also change the dressing on the surgical wound. We shall see if there is light at the end of THIS tunnel.

It seems I have used much of this post to saying Thanks! but Thanks are called for. Thank you all for your ongoing support. We are all very grateful.

Though there is still much to be done in Haiti with and for our students, it is encouraging to have your help. Remember that many of our young people will be writing exams well into July. Please send your prayers and positive energy their way. We have 10 writing Philo, the 7th and last year of secondaire.

Kenbe (hang in there)
Sharon

PS
It's national holiday week: Canada Day July 1, and Independence Day USA July 4. Stay safe and happy, everyone!

Next week I will profile our students Plenitude and Vincent in hope of generating sponsor relationships. Please leave any comment you might have after the blog, as Teena and David did last week. It helps us get to know each other a little! And sharing ideas and concerns is good for us all.