About Haiti Soleil

In Haiti, access to knowledge, modern technology and other educational resources are limited to the privileged few. There are virtually no public libraries like the ones we imagine in the west and poor educational public school systems. Private schools account for 90% percent of primary schools and most families are unable to afford private school tuitions. If students have the opportunity to attend public schools, most families are unable to handle the cost of textbooks, school supplies and uniforms. This is not surprising since most Haitians in Haiti live on less than two dollars a day. As a result of economic disparities, one third of all children in Haiti never set foot in a school; primary school enrollment rate is 67%; less than 35% finish primary school; and less than 2% finish secondary school. Haiti Soleil wants to play a part in the educational development of Haiti by providing free access to knowledge and technology and playing a major role in the intellectual and personal growth of Haitian youth.

Haiti Soleil is founded on the belief that to bring about social change in Haiti, the country needs to empower young people by giving them access to safe nurturing spaces, and providing them with opportunities for intellectual exchange and creative expression. Specifically, Haiti Soleil supports, builds, and develops community-centered public libraries, museums, and other institutions of educational and cultural exchange that focus on advancing the intellectual growth of young Haitian citizens. It also fosters projects that teach various communities about Haiti, its people, and culture in the hopes of building national linkages between Haitian Americans and other communities in the US, as well as global linkages between Haiti, the United States, and other countries around the world.

Haiti Soleil is currently supporting the efforts of Bibliotheque du Soleil, a neighborhood library in Haiti.

For more information, please visit www.haitisoleil.org

Music

Boukan Ginen -"Ede M Chante"

News

News Note from
Miami Herald

U.N. turns to Bill Clinton for Haiti help--5/20/09

BY JACQUELINE CHARLES– Former President Bill Clinton, who has pledged his philanthropic weight to help a storm ravaged Haiti, has been named a special envoy to the Caribbean nation on behalf of the United Nations...... Read more on rebuilding Haiti

News Note from
Haiti Innovation

CAUTIOUS OPTIMISM AS INVESTMENT TRICKLES INTO HAITI
By Bryan Schaaf on Tuesday, July 28, 2009

despite Haiti's many challenges, roads are being built, power plants constructed, and business opportunities growing. Investments in Haiti - in the capacity of its government, in its infrastructure, and increasingly in its private sector, are starting to pay off. Haiti is a country under construction, with something that it has not had for years...momentum. ...... Read more on rebuilding Haiti

News Note from
Associated Press

HAITI LAWMAKERS OK MINIMUM WAGE HIKE AFTER CLASHES
By Jonathan M. Katz on Wednesday, August 5, 2009

Lawmakers voted to more than double Haiti's minimum wage Tuesday night after long hours of debate and clashes between police and protesters, who complained they can't feed and shelter their families on the current pay of about $1.75 a day. Read more on rebuilding Haiti