Digicel, youths build school from containers

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti: The first school built under an partnership between Digicel and the United States Agency for International Development USAID was opened here yesterday.

École Louis de Borno in Léogâne - the town located at the epicentre of the January 12th earthquake - will welcome 600 primary students when the new school year begins on October 4.

The project employs youths for the construction of the schools through the USAID-funded IDEJEN livelihood initiative, which provides out-of-school youths aged 15 to 24 with non-formal education and vocational training.

100 people are to be employed at a pre-fabrication plant, in addition to those on site assembly.

“We are delighted to see the work of so many people come to fruition today,” said Josefa Gauthier, Executive Chairman of the Digicel Foundation. “The Digicel Foundation, USAID, IDEJEN, engineering company Kentz and the management of the school, have created an innovative solution to respond to the needs of Haitian children after the earthquake. I am especially pleased that the school offers such a child-friendly learning environment compared to other transitional options.”

The Digicel Foundation plans to build 50 such schools to provide permanent and transitional schools for up to 30,000 children, at two shifts per day. Each modular classroom is composed of two ventilated 20-foot shipping containers.

The schools will also have administration offices and sanitation and will be furnished with school desks, benches and blackboards provided by the Digicel Foundation. The modular schools have a construction time of about four weeks on site and, although considered transitional, can last up to ten years if necessary.

The USAID partnership procured approximately 100 shipping containers for this project which were used as part of the US Joint Task Force-Haiti’s humanitarian mission in the aftermath of the earthquake. The school in Léogâne will also receive a book donation from the US Embassy in Haiti.

Work has begun on the next school, also in the Léogâne area.

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