Almost two years have passed since the earthquake in Haiti, but the disaster area is still in need of help.
A woman named Bonite Affriany owns the Jacmel center in Haiti, where she educates and feeds 275 children each day.
“Children turn up at her center homeless and hungry with no one to turn to,” French teacher and club sponsor Madam Kelly said. “These kids have nowhere to sleep, and Bonite has nowhere to keep them, so every night, she sends all of these kids out on the streets. That’s what we want to change.”
To support the building of a children’s center, French Club is hosting a fundraiser on Oct. 29 from 7 to noon and 70 percent of the proceeds go towards the center.
“We’re having a garage sale and trunker treat,” Madam Kelly said. “While the parents work their way through the garage sale, their kids can go car to car and get candy.”
The fundraiser will be in the teacher parking lot. Anyone can come and buy a parking spot to sell their items. One spot is $15 and two is $25.
“I’ve always wanted to do something to show people that French Club isn’t just about Paris, France. It’s about the French speaking world,” Madam Kelly said. “We’re so excited for this and we really want it to work out.”
To complete the center it will to cost $160,000, but right now they are $150,000 short.
“We’re hoping to raise at least $1,000,” Madam Kelly said. “If they had this place built these kids would have a safe place to stay.”
Lisa Rueff, French Club’s contact to the center, leaves for Haiti Nov. 21. She asked French Club to make bilingual storybooks and coloring books that she can bring to the children. Later this year French classes will make the books for a project grade.
“I would love to send kids to Haiti so they can actually experience the situation at hand,” Madam Kelly said. “But there’s a lot to deal with, and we just don’t have the funding.”
If students would like to support the center in Haiti, they can come to the garage sale, or they can donate at www.randomkid.org/projects/hopeforhaitischildren
By Lauren Kirkpatrick
