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