In April 2023 I visited a Jesuit friend, Father Emilio Travieso S.J. who teaches in the San Ignacio de Loyola school in the northeast of Haiti. The school is in Bedou, a rural community on the banks of the Kanarí­ river, 14 km south of Ouanaminthe, near the border with the Dominican Republic.

 

Most of the school’s 1000 students walk for several kilometers on unpaved roads, rain or shine, to study with joy, passion and discipline. I was moved by the dedication of the nuns of the Company of Mary Our Lady who run the school, of Father Emilio, and of the teachers who (on a salary of 3 dollars a day!) provide the best education possible on a meager and unpredictable budget.

 

On returning to Puerto Rico a few friends and I decided to set up the Fundación Kanarí, to try to ensure the schools survival and growth. Up till now the school’s budget has depended on irregular donations and uncertain government aid, and the nuns have considered closing operations. We would like to make sure the school can function without interruptions. The community is desperately poor, and with average wages of $3.00 a day many families have to make enormous sacrifices to cover tuition, uniforms and books. Contributions of any amount will help guarantee the schools survival and the future welfare of these children.

 

Despite being so close to Puerto Rico, the reality of life for Haitians is dramatically different from ours and their plight is often “out of sight and out of mind”. Thank you for your interest in Fundación Kanarí­ and for helping us accomplish our goals.

 

Dr. Alan del Castillo 

San Juan, Puerto Rico

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