Imagine Oneness Foundation - Haiti School Rebuilding Appeal

May 23, 2012 - PRLog -- Imagine Oneness Foundation, a “not for profit” charity organization located in the Dominican Republic, are launching an appeal to assist them in financing the reconstruction of a school, Institute Community of Anse-a-Pitres, located in Anse-a-Pitre in Haiti, close to the Dominican town of Pedernales.

This new project is in line with the Foundations stated objectives of assisting schools located on the  border of the Dominican Republic and Haiti which, because of their geographical location, often face extraordinary difficulties.  This applies particularly to schools  in Haiti where funding for primary education is virtually nonexistent.

The director and principal, Jules Robert, originally founded the Institute Community of Anse-a-Pitres in 2003, with the financial assistance of some of the parents who wanted their children to receive a level of education not otherwise available. Institute Community of Anse-a-Pitres is also a “not for profit” organization and currently has 298 pupils, 152 girls and 146 boys with ages ranging from 5 to 15 years.  Including the founder and principal the school has six teaching staff.  Half the pupils attend in the morning, the others in the afternoon.

After nearly nine years since the school was originally constructed, using very basic materials, it is now in a very dilapidated condition.  Classrooms are overcrowded, unhealthy and in many cases open to the elements.  Sanitary conditions are basic, to put it mildly, with only one toilet for use by all the pupils and staff.  There is no kitchen facility either, so meals have to be prepared outside and brought into the school.

The school also has no electricity, computers, office or telephone and the teaching staffs, including the Principal, are all volunteers receiving no salary.  What little funding is obtained, to provide the basic needs, comes largely from some parents and other private fundraising efforts.

Imagine Oneness Foundation have agreed to support the school by raising the finance needed for rebuilding the school to provide five new, solidly constructed classrooms with windows to accommodate 35 to 40 children in each, as well as a perimeter wall for the security and safety of the pupils while in attendance.  In addition, as a second phase, further finance for the installation of adequate boys and girls separate restrooms and a kitchen.

The combined total costs for all the rebuilding totals approximately $16,000 and copies of the estimates for the work can be downloaded from the Foundation’s website http://imagineonenessfoundation.com.  Here you will also be able to see additional information regarding the Foundation, its aims and objectives along with a full set of photographs of the current state of the Institute Community of Anse-a-Pitre school.

The Foundations President, Larry Peterson, and Treasurer, Yuri Garcia, who visited the school to approve the project, commented that they were amazed at how well the students behaved, both in class and outside, and the extent to which they showed a desire to learn even under the appalling conditions they had to endure.  Indeed this was one of the many reasons the Foundation considered that this school deserved their support to improve the facilities and bring them up to a more acceptable level.

Imagine Oneness Foundation is managed entirely by volunteers who give their time free of charge enabling virtually all donations received to be directed to their projects. On their website they maintain a schedule of donations received and how these funds have been allocated. They also provide regular photo updates of projects so contributors can see how works are progressing.

Anyone wishing to donate can find full details on the Foundation’s website at http://imagineonenessfoundation.com/donate and should you wish further information about the Foundation, its board, projects, aims and objectives you can contact any of the Foundations Board at their email addresses or telephone numbers also available on the website.