Notre Dame in Mombin Crochu

Why has Cunina started this project?

The classrooms that the children of Ecole Notre Dame primary school in Mombin Crochu had to sit in, were hovels: there were no windows or doors and there were holes in the roof. Sand was blown into their eyes during the dry season and they had to sit with their feet in the mud during the rainy season.

What has Cunina done in the past?

At the request of the school board, Cunina built a 440 meter long wall around the school. Notre Dame is situated in the center of Mombin Crochu. Inhabitants had to walk through the school to enter or leave the village. Even the toilets of the school were often used as public toilets. Therefore, Cunina built a wall of 110 meters each year for four successive years.

Within the school walls, we rebuilt the previous classrooms from the ground up and we added two extra. This way, we could give the school buildings a more central position instead of being spread over the village. This also benefits the quality of the school.

Notre Dame has been a partner school of Cunina since 2011. We cooperate closely with the school in order to realize projects that improve the quality of education. Cunina also supports the school through personal child sponsorships.

What will Cunina do in the future?

Coming school year, we will renovate the five remaining classrooms. This way, the school will be completely finished and we can make sure that each grade has a proper classroom to sit in. Hygiene is also something very important in the countryside of Haiti. This means that toilets are essential.

We work together with the local community and use local materials to support the local economy, create jobs and provide even more children with education.

Fact sheet of Notre Dame

Start of the project: 2011

Money already spent: €76,507

Number of students: 1,146

Result in December 2016:

• Construction of 10 classrooms
• Furnishing and decoration of 10 classrooms
• Acquisition of school materials for the students
• Building of a school wall and gate

Plans for the future:

• Renovation of 5 classrooms
• Acquisition of extra school furniture
• Building of latrines

Why does Cunina operate in Haiti?

Most Haitian schools are in bad condition. Classrooms, which are mostly too small, are stacked with students. Different age groups have to share the same classroom and this results in noise pollution and inappropriate behavior. Most of the children do not have books, writing materials or a school bag. The only thing they have is a school uniform, which they often get from their brother(s) or sister(s).

Cunina operates in Port-au-Prince, Mombin Crochu and La Victoire.