What a joy to announce the news! George Wenson, the young Haitian man who saved Christa Brelsford’s life when her leg was crushed by falling concrete when the earthquake struck Haiti nearly a year ago, was issued a visa to attend highschool in US.

Congratulations to Mr. Wenson, to Christa and her father, the rest of their family and many others who were involved in making this possible. Click here to learn more about this amazing story.

Haiti Partners couldn’t be more honored to be in partnership with Christa and her family in “making good out of bad.” Thanks to Christa and her family, Zyman family, and so many others, thousands of Haitian children for years to come will have access to education.

Mr. Wenson reunites with Christa this past November in video below.

Click here to read a story in the Arizona Republic about Christa Brelsford, the Cabois Community School, the Zyman foundation, and Christa’s rescuer, Wenson Georges.  We are so touched by the care with which John Faherty approached this story.

To see the story through pictures, click here.

Happy Thanksgiving! We give thanks for so many blessings including all the good people that make our work possible and the commitment and determination of our Haitian colleagues.

What a joy to celebrate the new Cabois Community School this past Sunday!

We give thanks for the commitment of teachers, administrators, parents and children at Cabois for making education a priority. We give thanks for Christa Brelsford and her family for wanting to “make good out of bad.” We give thanks for the generosity of Zyman Foundation for making it possible to build and furnish the new school and to fund a credit program for families of students to help them get back on their feet after the earthquake.

Below is a short video taken during the ceremony followed by several photos. Click here to see more photos.

I (John Engle) along with so many continue to draw inspiration from Christa Brelsford and her family who are committed to making good out of bad.

Christa was volunteering at Cabois Community School last January. She was in my co-worker’s home with her brother and friends when earthquake struck. A chunk of cement fell on the bottom part of her leg, pinning her to the ground. It took hours to remove it. They got her to a UN base. There they were able to get her to Miami but unfortunately, her leg had to be amputated beneath the knee.

Instead of feeling sorry for herself Christa did what she’s known for doing when she confronts obstacles, according to her father Taylor, who is accompanying her in Haiti right now on his first visit here, “She quirks her chin and moves forward with strength and determination.”

While in Miami, Jessica Zyman of Zyman Foundation, heard her story on the news and was moved, which led to a grant of $100,000 to rebuild the school where Christa had been volunteering. It also made possible a micro-credit program that is helping families of the students at Cabois. Haiti Partners is both honored and grateful for the opportunity to be in partnership with Cabois Community School, Christa Brelsford and family, and the Zyman Foundation.

Learn about the amazing story of Christa and her family on her website: Christa’s Angels

Thank you, Christa, for the example of your strength and determination and for your commitment to make good out of bad.

Below, Christa reunites with Wenson who saved her life. NBC films to be aired on Today Show.

What a joy to see students back in school! Students in several of our partner schools are in brand new schools. Below is a video of my (John Engle) visit to Cabois Community School this past Thursday. To see photos taken at three of our partner schools click here. Thank you to photographer Eric Graham and Groupe Dynamic for in-kind support!

Below is Cabois Community School destroyed by earthquake

Below, Cabois Community School now

The pictures below were taken by our Haitian colleagues in Darbonne, Abelard Xavier and Gerald Lumarque.  The first two are of the new construction at Henri Christophe Community School.  The others are from Cabois Community School where the new school year has opened with teacher and parent meetings as well as parents participating in school improvements by bringing flowers to plant in the school yard.  Thanks so much to all of you who have made this wonderful work possible!

(For more pictures of construction progress at Henri Christophe Community School, click here.)

(For more pictures of progress at Cabois Community School, click here.)

Good friend Paul Springborn came to Haiti to spend a couple weeks with us. Welcome Paul! It’s great having you. Yesterday he visited three of our partner schools. Click here to see photos. Paul shares reflections at the end of the day:

The Learning Center that we’re building for Cabois Community School, made possible by a generous grant from Zyman Foundation is almost finished. Students, parents, teachers are filled with excitement, as are we. The secure wooden shutters and movable dividers will be completed in coming weeks along with a fence and gate that circles the entire property.

Exciting stuff! See blog following this one (click here) for video of training that Haiti Partners is making possible (thanks to generous donations!) along with books and  materials we are providing to teachers and students. Teachers and principles from all seven of our partner schools are receiving five full days of teacher training in preparation for new school year, which will start on October 4.

We couldn’t be more grateful for generous contributions from our donors, which make all this possible.

New children are enrolling.

Haiti Partners participated in a pilot with Waveplace and OLPC (One Laptop Per Child) of 200 xo laptops in April and May of this year. Last week I (John Engle) visited with about 20 students from our various partner schools to see how they’re progressing. Respecting one of OLPC’s principles, all students in our partner schools keep the laptops so that they can continue learning.

I was amazed to see progress they’ve made in using them: typing, doing illustrations, taking and manipulating photos, creating electronic books, doing math, etc.

I was also deeply touched by “Lordz” story. (pictured below) Her mother was killed on December 26, 2009. Stabbed by her father. “I moved in with my godmother. Then, the earthquake destroyed our home several weeks later. When I become overwhelmed by sadness I grab my laptop and my tears go away.”

Click here for more photos

Short video in front of Haiti Partners partner school, Cabois Community School. It was destroyed by earthquake and thanks to Zyman Foundation and generosity of others, construction of new building is almost complete.

I (John Engle) was pleased to see construction progress today at Cabois Learning Center. But we have a challenge. Can you help? In the video you’ll see that we have a very large space that we need to subdivide into about 8 classrooms. The challenge is that we want the dividers to be easily removable so that the entire space can be used for community wide meetings and events. Any suggestions?