Since the earthquake that hit Haiti on 12 January 2010, we’ve dedicated our work to the memory of Andrew Grene by helping develop the lives of people in Haiti through education and microfinance.
This film captures all the hard work everyone has done for the Andrew Grene Foundation since its creation, and how this help has facilitated the transformation of areas within Haiti.
Thank you for all the support you have given. Please enjoy watching the film below.
Below, are a few of many things we are extremely proud of accomplishing:
The Andrew Grene High School
We built the Andrew Grene High School (AGHS) in Cité Soleil just 18 months after the AGF was founded.
We now provide full-time education to over 250 students aged 11-19 through our sponsor a student programme.
- Many Haitian families cannot afford to educate their children
- 33% of children aged 6-12 do not attend school
- More than 50% of the population is illiterate
- 80% of students drop out of high school because they can no longer afford to go.
“Where we are now… this was just a desert. All the school was just a desert.”
Now?
“This school is so special!” – Roberson Borgerlin, Teacher
“The students are like family.” – Nepthalie, Student
“It’s more than just a school…” as Headmaster Ricot explains, “It’s actually a project for the development of Haiti.”
You can help support the school further by sponsoring a student – we have many new students that need sponsoring this academic year. Find out more sponsoring a child at The Andrew Grene High School.
Student Results
Thanks to the hard work of our students, the academic year just passed saw outstanding results achieved throughout the AGHS:
- 9th Grade 94.28% pass rate (Port Au Prince average 79%)
- Philo Grade 97% pass rate (Port Au Prince average 35.89%)
Despite the difficult conditions the students experience, such as poverty and hunger, the students achieved results that exceed the Port Au Prince averages by a long distance. These fantastic grades are not only the result of the student’s determination, but also the tireless hard work of Headmaster Ricot Pierre and his team.
All our students are incredibly hardworking, with ambitions to become: teachers, engineers, lawyers, doctors and nurses. Keeping these professions in Haiti will not only help to rebuild the country, but will lay the foundations for a better future.
The Sports Court
In the summer of 2017 we were able to purchase an area of wasteland opposite our main school site in Cite Soleil. In September 2018, when the new year started at AGHS, we were able to unveil our new sport court.
The court boasts plenty of features for the students to enjoy using, including: basketball hoops, spectator bleachers, perimeter walls for safety, an 8m² dressing room, sports equipment and painted court markings.
Before this, the children used to play sports between classrooms with no benches, floor markings, balls or equipment. Now, with a dedicated sports court, they can enjoy playing sports in a safe and fun environment. The sports court is even used for after school activities!
Microfinance Project
We work with Fonkoze to run a microfinance project in Aquin, a rural area in the south of Haiti. We have a proven track record of lifting women and their families out of extreme poverty.
- 98% of Fonkoze’s clients are women
- More than 2500 people enrolled
We work in areas that are so remote that no bank is willing to serve them. We bring the bank to these remote locations, usually on a motorbike! Loans are given to people who would be refused by traditional banks. This method of mobile banking gives the accessibility to finance to a wider range of people.
Clients borrow small sums of money, e.g. $20, to purchase produce to sell at the market, or a couple of hens to provide eggs to sell.
These small businesses grow, meaning the women work themselves out of poverty and support their families, building savings and increasing their income stability. The loans change lives, giving the borrowers, in their own words, ‘dignity and hope’.
Our new branch was opened in 2017 after Hurricane Matthew hit in October 2016.
Education in Microfinance
Not only does this microfinance project provide support financially, there’s also educational lessons that are given as well.
The microfinance project includes a four-month education program, teaching basic numeracy, literacy, healthcare and childcare skills. This vital support enables a business to function, because without basic numeracy and literacy skills, a business simply can’t function profitably.
Without your help, none of this would have been possible. If you’d like to donate towards developing our education or microfinance projects, please see how you can support us here. Thanks to the generosity of the P3 Group, 100% of donations goes directly to Haiti.