Imagine an elementary school with 250 students sitting on rough hewn benches in a long narrow one-sided shed with a dirt floor and metal roof; the class areas separated only by black boards on rickety stands. When it rains mud oozes around the benches. When it is dry dust settles on the papers and few books the children share. This is the reality of St. Paul's School in Petit-Trou de Nippes, Haiti.

But it is a vibrant educational center. For over ten years it has been providing schooling for children who otherwise would not be able to attend classes. St. Paul's literally stands between illiteracy and education for hundreds of children. The students from ages 6-20 (many begin school late because of poverty related problems) attend school in the uniforms required of all students in Haiti. They recite their lessons under the leadership of a dozen dedicated teachers. They must pass demanding end of year exams to move into the next grade. Today some 25 graduates of St. Paul's School are attending high school, nurses training and other educational programs. In addition, adult education programs are offered at St. Paul's and a school nurse attends to the many health related problems.

All of this is possible through the Colorado Haiti Project and, in particular, the Konbit Sponsorship program initiated by Mardi O'Dell of Colorado Springs in 1997. Through Konbit sponsors in the United States contribute $25 per month to provide tuition, school uniforms, daily hot-lunches, school supplies and teachers' salaries so that the school can function.

The school operating budget this year was limited to $50,000. Generous sponsors provide over half of this amount, but like many non-profit organizations, the CHP must search and plead for donations to meet the needs of these "poorest of the poor".

From the beginning, St. Paul's has focused on educating the local children. The founding priest, Father Octave LaFontant, insisted that providing a school and regular hot meals for the children was more important than building a church building. With over half of the adult population of Haiti illiterate, this emphasis is well founded.

Most of us take for granted the fact our parents read to us as young children. This set the foundation for life-long reading. However, in a country where most adults cannot read, especially in the rural areas, this makes this early reading preparation difficult, if not impossible. Fortunately for the Chevalier/Petit Trou de Nippes community, St. Paul’s has a well-educated dynamic pre-school teacher who has initiated a creative head-start program for young children preparing them for first grade.

St. Paul's current priest Father Kesner Gracia says, "Education is the cornerstone of life." He envisions a high quality elementary (K-6) and secondary education (7-12) including a real school building. He asks, "How can children learn human dignity when they're sitting in the mud?" A successful CHP capital campaign will make this school a reality.

Thanks to a Rotary Club International grant, a satellite communication system will bring the internet to the faculty and students. In addition, a small library in boxes is gradually taking shape from second-hand donated books in French. A new edition of a French/Kreole health booklet is being published by the CHP for the school health program. These are a few of the specific additions to St. Paul's school as developed from its beginnings in the vision of Father Octave almost
15 years ago.