One of the organizations that 410 partners with in Haiti is Mission of Hope. They have been instrumental in our efforts to relocate a community of deaf Haitians displaced and left homeless by the 2010 earthquake, to the community of Leveque. Last week, thanks to their consistent communication with the Clinton Foundation, the former president Bill Clinton (husband to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton), was able to visit the community of Laveque and even meet with several members of the deaf community last week. Here is an abbreviation of the report we received from MOH:
MOH has been talking to the Clinton Foundation for a while now, and they asked for a visit last week. Clinton was in-country during the 3-year anniversary and fit in a visit to Leveque! He came for a mid-day visit in a 6 car, 8 moto caravan and literal clouds of dust! Visited the soccer field, water filtration system, and two houses!
He met with a few people from the community: Berthide, Diana, Mackenson, Pastor Beau, Roosevelt, Menorce, Thimagene, and Pierre Richard – each representing a different aspect of the community. Everyone except Mack, Berthide, and Roosevelt (who communicate through sign language) completely lost their words. 🙂 But those three did a great job introducing themselves and talking about their role and life in Leveque. There wasn’t a lot of time for each one, but they did great with what they had!
Most of Clinton’s discussion ended up being with Brad, Mr. Marc, and Manasse (MOH agronomist). He is really interested in seeing if some of the drip agriculture programs that they do in East Africa would work here. Lots of water-related ag. discussion. He’s also very interested in solar lighting for the school and community center. No official commitments yet, but we’re following up…
In the rural schools of San Martín, many children face a challenge that often goes unseen but deeply affects their future — difficulty in learning to read and write.
More than 90% of students who struggle academically have difficulties specifically related to communication and language, impacting their ability to keep up with classmates and putting their promotion to the next grade at risk.
In the rural communities of San Antonio Huista and Unión Cantinil, Guatemala, many families live day by day without the tools to plan for the future. Saving is not common—not because people are unwilling, but because they have never been taught how. Dreams of starting a business, improving a home, or investing in a child’s education often remain out of reach. Children, youth, adults, and elders alike face the reality of limited financial stability and few opportunities to imagine a different path forward.
Deep in the mountains of the municipality of Unión Cantinil, Guatemala, in communities like Las Lomas and Villa Linda, more than just classes are being lost. At stake is the dignity of childhood, struggling to learn under conditions no one should accept as normal.
Children arrive at school hungry and tired. Parents, though giving their all, often cannot help with homework because they themselves had limited educational opportunities. Overcrowded classrooms, too few teachers, and a system that struggles to respond make learning an uphill battle.
