Our Mission
Haitian Roots is a licensed non-profit organization designed to provide educational opportunities for impoverished Haitian children. Currently the organization is comprised of four board members: Isson Joseph, Marie France Joseph, Jason Cox, and Shannon Cox. Haitian Roots offers a continual path of academic education through the Haitian education system as well as additional instruction such as ESL and computer basics.
Haitian Roots will help to fulfill the needs of the future generation of Haitians, eventually building and running a primary school for children during the day and a technical school for the youth at night. Haiti is desperately in need of technology and infrastructure. Haiti has an illiteracy rate of 85%. This results in crimes and abuses of all kinds. Haitian Roots believes that education is the key to changing Haitian society. The board of Haitian Roots is committed to fighting against the atrocities that are happening to the youth of Haiti. The organization will give the children of this nation an alternative to the path of poverty they are currently embarked upon.
Haitian Roots is a non-profit, 501(c)3 organization. Its financial security relies upon donations from generous supporters. No member/employee of Haitian Roots will receive a salary. 100% of funds will go to the needs of educating the children of Haiti.
Learning In Haiti
Major educational reforms took place in the 1970s and 1980s. These included approval for the use of Creole in Haiti's schools. Although by law primary education is free and mandatory for children between the ages of six and twelve, there is a lack of proper teaching facilities because of limited government funding. For every teacher in the countryside there are 550 school-aged children. Moreover, dropout rates for primary students are high. Only about 63% of those enrolled in primary schools will graduate. About 50% of the adult population cannot read or write.
Most formal schooling is provided by private and religious-based schools. These schools are not regulated and are too expensive for most people to afford. Read More