Notre Dame in La Victoire

Why has Cunina started this project?

Cunina operates in the Central Plateau, which is a six-hour drive away from Port-au-Prince. We have built a new school in the small village of La Victoire. The classrooms that the children of Notre Dame first had to sit in, were hovels: there were no windows or doors and there were holes in the roof.

The local community (parents of the children, school staff members…) helped Cunina with the construction of the school. The adults collected pebble stones from the river and used them in the foundations of the building.

They make the bricks by mixing cement, water and sand in a baking tin and letting it dry in the Haitian sun. All the school furniture (school desks, cupboards and chairs) is made by local cabinet makers. This way, Cunina supports the local economy.

What has Cunina done in the past?

The school wanted to start providing secondary education, an idea that Cunina definitely supports. Therefore, the organization built new classrooms, so the school was able to offer primary, secondary and higher education. But it did not stop there. Cunina also provided the classrooms with new school furniture.

We work together with the local community and use local materials to support the local economy, create jobs and provide even more children with education.

Factsheet Notre Dame

Start project: 2015

Reeds besteed: € 21.083

Leerlingen: 854

Resultaat juni 2016:

• Construction of 3 classrooms
• Construction of the principal’s office
• Replacement of the school’s roof
• Paintwork of the school’s exterior walls
• Acquisition of school furniture
• Creation of a book fund
• Training of teachers

This project has been completed.

Why does Cunina operate in Haiti?

Most Haitian schools are in bad condition. Classrooms, which are mostly too small, are stacked with students. Different age groups have to share the same classroom and this results in noise pollution and inappropriate behavior. Most of the children do not have books, writing materials or a school bag. The only thing they have is a school uniform, which they often get from their brother(s) or sister(s).

Cunina operates in Port-au-Prince, Mombin Crochu and La Victoire.