Education Beyond The School Gates

WACKER Relief Fund in Haiti: Gang Crime and Food Shortages Heighten the Daily Struggle for Survival

Gressier, Oct 18, 2022

Gang crime is on the rise in Haiti. This makes life even tougher for the population, 80 percent of whom have to make ends meet on less than US$2 a day. Children are hardest hit by poverty. The school in Gressier supported by the WACKER Relief Fund gives these children access to education, improves their hygiene awareness, and opens a gateway to a better future.

Classes and school meals in Gressier. (Photos: Copyright Don Bosco Mondo e.V.)

Last year, schools were open on more days than during the pandemic years. Yet the political situation remained unstable and gang crime has escalated. During the summer of 2022, the UN office in the Haitian capital of Port-au-Prince reported that armed criminal gangs have restricted free movement of 1.5 million people who have no access to basic services. The sharp rise in violence has also affected families in Gressier, a town only 25 kilometers away from the capital. Many parents were unable to earn a living. The school offered the option of paying school fees in installments.

Roadblocks prevented the school team from accessing supplies and put a stop to planned activities. School management faces formidable obstacles in keeping the school running and remaining flexible and motivated. Purchasing gas and especially food is a challenge amid soaring inflation. Basic food stuffs such as peas and oil are hard to come by, a situation the war in Ukraine has exacerbated.

Prices for cleaning agents have more than doubled. Yet the school staff continue to prioritize good hygiene practices in the children’s daily routine. Mindful behavior in coping with the dangers of the coronavirus pandemic have become part of life for the children and their families. The life skills taught at school thus extend beyond the school gates bringing the benefits of hygiene awareness out into village communities.

“Classes and the daily hot meals not only help with the children’s development, they also are an anchor for families in tough times,” says Mirko Kappelhoff, Chairman of the WACKER Relief Fund Board of Trustees. He thanks everyone who helps keep the school up and running with their donations. The WACKER Relief Fund cent donation program plays an important role here,” says Mirko Kappelhoff: “By donating the few cents from rounding down their monthly paycheck, everyone who participates in the cent donation program can help make a big difference.”

The Don Bosco school in Haiti is financed with school fees, which most families can’t afford. Every employee can help keep the school running by supporting the WACKER Relief Fund cent donation program. (Photo: Copyright Don Bosco Mondo e.V.)

An opportunity provider

To alleviate the lack of education in Haiti, the Salesians of Don Bosco SDB in Gressier set up the Don Bosco School in Riobé, some 25 kilometers from the capital Port-au-Prince. The school was destroyed by the devastating earthquake in 2010 and was rebuilt with the aid of the WACKER Relief Fund and other sponsors. Since then, Haitians face a continuous challenge as they rebuild their lives amid political unrest and frequently recurring hurricanes and earthquakes that leave destruction and poverty in their wake.

As a result of food shortages, poor hygiene and lack of clean drinking water, the child mortality rate in Haiti is 6.1%. Many parents can’t afford to send their children to school, and children often have to work to help support the family financially. Without access to education, these children stand little chance of improving their lives in future. All the more important that in the past school year, some 1,200 girls and boys from kindergarten age to high school graduation were able to take advantage of the educational opportunities offered by the Don Bosco school – thanks to the support of the WACKER Relief Fund, which finances the running costs of the school and the school meals.

Roughly 4,600 employees participate in the WACKER Relief Fund’s cent-donation program. Their support is keeping the schools up and running. With minimal amounts, each employee in Germany can help the fund provide sustainable support in the years ahead. How does it work? Employees agree to have their monthly salaries rounded down to the nearest euro, the difference in cents is then donated to the WACKER Relief Fund. On average, the participating employees donate 50 cents per month. Anyone wanting to take part in the cent-donation program can access the application form here: Mitarbeiterservice@wacker.com.

If you’d like to help, please donate to the following WACKER Relief Fund account with Bayerische Landesbank München:

IBAN DE59 7005 0000‎ 0003 3333 33
BIC BYLADEMMXXX

Please state your name and address on the payment transfer form (in Germany, your WACKER ID number is enough). The Relief Fund issues donation receipts to employees residing in Germany, as the donations are tax-deductible there. The WACKER Relief Fund says a big thank you for every donation. Receipts are sent out in the first quarter of the year.