AYITI

Let’s keep the Education discussion alive!

Nekita Lamour
 

My suggestion on the issue of education, besides Haitians being open to the diaspora, bringing their knowledge and human expertise to Haiti, is for those who have money to financially provide a publishing company to write books for the young people of Haiti and those who were born outside of Haiti. I don’t want to mention name. But I wrote to a prominent person in January and have not heard anything yet. If you are a millionaire and want to make a difference, fine. But one doesn’t have to be a millionaire to help finance and keep Educational centers in various communities. Those of us who had raised kids, paid their college and have some money can pitch in for the education and social improvement of the larger community. We can be interdependent not entirely dependent on others to help us improve our communities. We can look for matching grants, but not 100% charity (pote bol ble) in the diaspora. Do Haitians really need $20 to 50,000 cars, or SUV’s? Let’s think of diverting all this extra cash we are spending on cars, furniture, jewelry, on women’s clothes and shoes, sneakers, lavish receptions and invest rather on learning and see a difference in the next 35, 40 years.

A lot of us, to name Emmanuel Vedrine have lots of (didactic) teaching manuscripts written in French, Creole, an English. Other colleagues, friends, and I have lots of unedited books and materials for children and young people also, but don’t have time and money, and energy for self publishing like Emmanuel.

By reproduction, I hope one doesn’t mean reproducing the western culture or what we have learned and continue to learn in the schools, (Nos ancetres, les gaulois). Materials for young people now need multicultural and global views.

How many of us never knew that Africa is not a country and that there are middle class Africans and cities in Africa that look like any western cities. What did they teach us about Jews (besides juif errant) Asians (besides je chinwa chire) Hindu (besides yo se gwo majisyen)? We have not learned anything about Muslims yet. Be careful, when we say “Reproducing books”.

In the United States, an estimated 4,000 reading books are published every month for children. I mean reading for pleasure, not Math, Science, Social Studies books, just reading books. Since this week, is St. Patrick celebration, I would like to mention that publications put the 19th century Irish who came here hungry (due to potato famine) and illiterate where they are today. They printed newspapers which in turn helped keep their community united. Henri Christophe, based on my research for an article I had to write last year has been the only government official who made Education a priority in Haiti.

On another note, historically speaking, the majority of the Catholic churches in the United States built schools for their immigrant population in the l800’s and early l900’s. Today’s Latin American, African, and Caribbean immigrants don’t have learning programs, not along schools for their children and youth. The black churches including us Haitians don’t teach the children either.

Most of the Black communities’ schools are colleges that were opened in the South. By that time is too late. The example of starting teaching and learning to 3, 4 year olds like the Catholics could be duplicated.

It is an outmost importance to have Education Centers in every town in Haiti, and in every region where Haitians are in the diaspora. I was in Miami last month and saw a lot of community leaders involving in learning activities and groups themselves like Le Petit Prince group or those educational services I mentioned that FANM and Notre Dame d’Haiti are providing.

I like those south Florida communities and more could happen. What about the other communities that have not had some Educational Centers? Many have social service agencies that target newly arrivals or those don’t who don’t know a lot of English. What about Haitians who were born here? Adults who know English, but want to learn more. Second generations who want to know the Haitian culture. In overall, I don’t see too much happening, both in Haiti or in the diaspora in terms of keeping up with a knowledge based era this world is getting to be.

Okay,
Let’s keep the Education discussion alive!
Nekita
 

 
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