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TE SOLEY School Project

Mario Bollag lived in Haiti in the late 70s for a few years, working in the tourism and visual art sectors. He witnessed the gradual demise of Haiti after the years of cruel and authoritarian if halfway stable Duvalier regimes. Corruption and doomed policies from Haitian politicians as well as foreign countries contributed to an almost complete economic and social collapse. The article in the New York Times describes today’s situation in Haiti quite accurately…

” The poor now target the poor in Haiti. Many fear leaving their homes, buying groceries or paying a bus fare — acts that can draw the attention of gangs out to kidnap anyone with cash, no matter how little.Many schools shut their doors this month not over Covid-19, but to protect students and teachers against a kidnapping-for-ransom epidemic that began haunting the nation a year ago. No one is spared: not nuns, priests or the children of struggling street vendors. Students now organize fund-raisers to collect ransoms to free classmates. After years enduring hunger, poverty and daily power cuts, Haitians say their country is in the worst state it has ever been in, with the government unable to provide the most basic services in the poorest nation in the Western Hemisphere.” 

The future of Haiti is, at best uncertain. There is no short-term cure. It will take generations to reverse the downward trend both socially and economically.
I believe change begins with the newest generation: The children. Our foundation, Te Soley, is focused on the construction and then management of a new school in the Southeast of Haiti. It is currently in the final stages of construction in a place called Haut-Kabic situated in the comune of Cayes-Jacmel. The school will open to students in 2023 and will operate outside the Haitian public school system.  We aim to educate the children by emphasizing sustainability, ecology, and social issues. A more modern approach keeps, however,  the Haitian roots and culture at all times on the surface.
The areas of focus for the school will be Art, Agriculture, Computer/Digital Skills, Dietary Knowledge, Social Skills, and Language (English).

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Curriculum

Areas of Focus

 

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Art

Haitians have shown an enormous, natural sense of aesthetics and design over the past century.  In the ’70s and ’80s,  Haitian Art was celebrated worldwide, but its notoriety has steadily decreased since the 90 mostly due to the economic and social disaster in Haiti. 
Today Haitian artists can hardly afford to pay for paint and canvas. Talent is still there, but opportunity is not.  In exchange for space and materials, artists will dedicate some of their time to teaching the school children.  Our school will organize physical and online exhibitions and auctions for artists and young students to sell their work.  The proceeds from the sales will be shared by the artists and the school to fund the supply of materials. 

Agriculture

Haiti has history of unsustainable  and inefficient agricultural practices. Charcoal is still the main fuel source for cooking food, mostly due to a lack of electricity and propane gas. Crop choice is mostly limited to basics needed to survive. Students at our school will learn of sustainable agricultural practices including efficient water canalisation systems.  Some pilot programs will be set up in the school.

IT Skills

To promote Haitian products and communicate with the world outside Haiti, you have to be able to access digitally public institutions, administrations, suppliers, and clients. Learning basic digital skills will be mandatory for a successful and rewarding future and therefore taught at the school.

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Language

The English language is a must for communicating with the outside world. Courses in English will be taught at the school.

Construction and Costs

 

Construction

4-year project. Opens September 2023.

The construction consists of building 7 dwellings as well as gardens, vegetable gardens, and playgrounds.
  • 4  buildings compromised of 8 classrooms. Each classroom holds up to 20 students.
  • 1  building for the office, a library, and a teacher room
  • 1  building  keeping school supplies such as batteries fo the solar panels etc.
  • 1 building holding 4 toilets, 2 for girls and 2 for boys as well as a wash area with 4 sinks.

Costs

$ 350’000.00 total budget
We spent $ 86’000.00  through Feb 2020.
We spent $ 34’000.00 December 2020 – February 2021
We spent $ 28’000.00 February 2022 – March 2022  (We only build while we are physically on the property
 to oversee all aspects of construction.)
To complete the school we need to raise another $ 202’000.00 by spring 2023,  which will  cover:
  • the completion of the construction itself
  • the installation of a solar electrical system
  • all plumbing
  • floor tiling
  • all lighting
  • all painting
  • writing desks and chairs for each student: (120 units)
  • all landscaping
  • one year of expenses for managing the school, including teachers salaries

Photo Gallery

 

How You Can Help

Fondation TE SOLEY
US$ -account: 700-1322-1745962
SWIFT of UNIBANK S.A.:

UBNKHTPPXXX 

UNIBANK S.A., IMMEUBLE RIVOLI, RUE FLAUBERT 157, PETION-VILLE, HAITI

CONTACT US

Besides raising money thru grants and donations,  Tè Solèy also looks for business partners, who seek opportunities in the field of social entrepreneurship: The key words here are: organic, sustainable and fair trade.There is no funding by Tè Solèy for any project that does not directly benefit the Hatian people.