Small Nonprofit Makes Big Impact in Rural Haiti

Online, May 3, 2011 (Newswire.com) - IC-Haiti, an all-volunteer nonprofit operating out of the small community of Newburyport, MA, announces that construction will begin on a new elementary school in the remote mountain village of Puit ChaCha, Haiti. The elementary school will serve 200 children in an area without access to any educational facilities currently. The group has raised $90,000 to fund the construction.

For IC-Haiti president Eric Brennan, building the school represents a vision of hope for Haiti's future. "The literacy rate is at 50% in Haiti right now," he says. "We can't educate every child in Haiti. But by getting these 200 children into school, it gives the rest of the community hope."

The new elementary school will be completed in the fall of 2011, in time for the start of the new school year. The three-building structure will provide not only an education, but is designed with food storage and cooking facilities to allow the community to leverage meal programs from other relief services. The students will receive a daily meal - for most, the only reliable meal that they will receive.

Started in 2008 by retired priest Fr. Paul Berube, IC-Haiti began as a small group of community members organizing to raise funds for a small hospital in Fond des Blanc, Haiti. Their initial goal was $50,000, which at the time seemed out of reach. "The ability that people have to reach inside themselves (and their checkbooks) to give hope to some of the poorest people in the world has been overwhelming," says Eric Brennan. The group has sent over $250,000 to Haiti since 2008, sending $90,000 in 2010 for earthquake relief, including donations from across the country.

IC-Haiti credits their success with strong community commitment, and their ability to be totally transparent about where the funds received go. "We're all volunteers, and we have almost no operating expenses," Miriam McNabb, secretary of IC-Haiti, explains. "99% of the money we collect goes directly to Haiti, to complete identified projects. Some of us visit the projects at our own expense, and we're able to show people the real results of their donations."

The group now hopes to raise money to support the school on an ongoing basis. They estimate that the cost of supplying teachers, support staff, textbooks, supplies, uniforms, and food will be an annual cost of $160./student. At the current capacity of 200 students, they will need to raise $32,000 prior to the start of the school year in September 2011.

To contribute to the support of the Puit ChaCha school, or to see more about IC-Haiti's past projects in education and healthcare, see www.ichaiti.org. Donations can be sent to IC-Haiti at 42 Green St., Newburyport, MA 01950 or via PayPal at www.ichaiti.org.