In 2010, GSBI Foundation made a commitment to educate 100 poor children
in grades K-12 in remote rural areas of Haiti. We are working with
a local organization by the name of Fonkoze which means "Shoulder
to Shoulder" in the Haitian dialect.
We are seeking your support and assistance in helping us build a school
in Haiti. As you may know, during the past five years, the Give Something
Back International Foundation volunteers have built 8 new classrooms
and 2 new libraries and renovated numerous schools, libraries and dormitories
in poor rural areas of Northern Thailand.
We want to draw on our previous successful experiences to help children
in Haiti. As you know, schools provide a crucial sense of normalcy
and security in the aftermath of a disaster. In addition to the benefits
of an education, reopening a school helps put the lives of children
back on track and helps provide parents with time to address their
harsh living conditions and find work.
It has been almost a year since the devastating earthquake. As you
recall, the massive earthquake killed more than 220,000 people and
affected about one-third of the Haitian population. You may not be
aware that almost 4,000 schools were damaged or destroyed and an estimated
1.26 million children and youth were affected.
We are writing to ask you to consider helping by making a tax-deductible
donation and/or by volunteering to help build the school.
We have been doing a lot of research and have been engaged in dialogue
and planning with other development organizations and volunteers. Haiti
is a very complex operating environment and there are extensive challenges
involved in making a difference. Many humanitarian organizations have
been working intensively on relief efforts. It is now timely to focus
on the longer-term recovery and development needs.
Partnering with organizations, we are developing a plan to build a
six-classroom school designed for stability and strength to endure
earthquakes and hurricanes. In working with others, we are in the process
of designing a school that can be built relatively quickly and utilize
locally sourced materials from Haiti and the Dominican Republic. As
with our previous building projects, in addition to our volunteers,
we plan to enlist local people to participate in all stages of construction.
As we have done in the past, we also plan on providing books and educational
supplies upon completion of the project.
We estimate the total cost of the construction will be approximately
$50,000. To help support this effort, you can make a tax-deductable
donation
using a credit card here, Donate
Now, or send a check to GSBI Foundation, 1548 Caribbean
Drive, Sarasota, Florida 34231.
If you are interested in participating
by volunteering to assist in the building of the school, please fill
in this registration form: Volunter
Now
Since launching the Give Something Back International Foundation in
2002, our overarching mission has been “Education to Change Lives”.
Our vision for Haiti is to make a difference by providing good quality
education in a safe environment.
As some of you recall, we wrote you six years ago when the horrific
Asian tsunami devastated so many lives. With the support and generosity
of our donors, we were able to make a significant difference in a fishing
village in Khao Thong in the Krabi province in Thailand. For two years,
we provided support for rebuilding efforts that helped many children
return to school and initiated an effort with the parents and village
elders to ensure this project was self-sustaining. We look forward
to using these learnings in Haiti.
You can also assist by making a donation to sponsor a Haitian child
for a year. These children would not be able to attend school without
your support. We are proud to say and we are committed to continue
to ensure that 100% of any donated funds go directly to help the
children. There are continued needs to sponsor more children; a tax-deductible
contribution of $100 can
support a needy child for one to four years. |
