HAITI. Travel retail industry-funded school Lycée Jean-Baptiste Point du Sable was undamaged by Hurricane Matthew, which devastated the island nation last week, and all pupils are safe.
The school has also offered food and shelter for up to 300 locals at a time of immense need.
Haiti has entered three days of national mourning for those killed by the hurricane, which devastated large swathes of the south of the country.
Some 900 people are believed to have died with tens of thousands displaced and some 350,000 requiring aid. Click here to see NBC News’ searing report and images of the devastation caused in towns such as Jérémie.
“The Lycée Jean-Baptiste Point du Sable weathered Hurricane Matthew well, and we were fortunate enough to share our resources with our local community, Pont Leocan,” wrote Pedagogical Director Gretchen Schell in her blog. “With the help of our teachers and other staff members, our cafeteria was quickly turned into a hurricane center.
“Children were given crayons and paper and were later treated to a movie, Tintin, hot chocolate and popcorn. Almost 300 people were served pasta and chicken. We appreciate everyone’s support, especially the kitchen staff, who worked together to make a potentially threatening situation a most positive one.
“Later in the week, we donated a US$4,000 electric pole transformer to Pont Leocan, which restored electricity to more than 800 people.”
The school also housed ten people who lost their homes during Hurricane Matthew.
School director Michel Deschodt added: “We have two more transformers that we don’t use, which we are planning to donate to Food For Poor, a multi-denominational charity that has been working in Haiti for more than 30 years.”
The tragedy comes almost precisely five years to the day since Lycée Jean-Baptiste Point du Sable opened in the town of Saint Marc in western Haiti. Uniquely, the school was built – and continues to be operated – via funds raised mainly through the travel retail industry. It was built as a response to the catastrophic earthquake of 12 January 2010, which killed an estimated 220,000 people, injured 300,000 and left 1.3 million homeless.
Immediately after the disaster The Estée Lauder Companies President, Travel Retailing Worldwide Olivier Bottrie (whose wife Alexandra is Haitian), then-DFS Chairman & CEO Ed Brennan and The Moodie Davitt Report Chairman Martin Moodie founded a response group called Hand in Hand for Haiti. The entity – now a 501 (C) charitable foundation – sought funding from the travel retail community to build and operate an earthquake- and typhoon proof school pupils of international standard, designed to aid reconstruction through education.
It turned into the largest fund-raising initiative in travel retail history with the school earning many accolades for its educational aims and engagement with the local community.
 |
Jérémie was traumatised by the earthquake. “12/01 changed everything for us,” says one local. Not only has there been an influx of refugees from Port-au-Prince but many local young people had been studying at university when the quake struck. “Jérémie lost many of its children,” he says. |
Unlike so many relief and reconstruction projects in Haiti, funding for Lycée Jean-Baptiste Point du Sable was strictly controlled, ensuring optimum quality control and a cost-efficient, on-time, world-class project.
That quality control has just stood up to its fiercest test.
Footnote: Lycée Jean-Baptiste Point du Sable needs your support.
As the tragic events of recent days highlight, there is no-one to pass on responsibility for the school (or for Haiti) to.
Either the travel retail industry and its friends continue to maintain control over this shining light of corporate social responsibility or it closes. It is our choice, your choice.
We’re prepared to put our money where our mouth is. The Moodie Davitt Report has committed US$100,000 over five years, The Estée Lauder Companies and DFS Group have been magnificent in their support, as has Dufry, together with many other industry companies and most trade associations.
Just think, Hurricane Matthew killed at least 900 people in Haiti, while it has claimed less than 20 lives in the USA. We cannot stand by and let such disparity be perpetuated.
Please give generously to Haitian relief efforts and also support Hand in Hand for Haiti (www.hihh.org) to offer your help.
