Port au Prince, San Francisco, Les Cayes

In 1989, an enormous earthquake measuring 7.1 on the Richter scale hit San Francisco. It struck during World Series between the Giants and The A’s.  That quake was exactly the same size as the one that hit Port Au Prince this year.  Sixty-three people died in the Bay Area.  230,000 people died here in Haiti.

The difference between San Francisco and Port Au Prince:  Extreme Poverty.

Extreme poverty and illiteracy are directly correlated and extensive research proves that education is one of the first steps out of poverty.

Since the earthquake, 600,000 people have left Port Au Prince.  Tens of thousands have resettled in Les Cayes, where we are building schools.  The need for education in Haiti is more dire than ever.

Those are the facts. You can help.

We have broken ground on several schools over the last six months.  They will be among the first built anywhere in Haiti since the quake.  Tomorrow, I will post from a village where we are building one of the schools and over the next week, we’ll post from villages where we plan to build many more.

By the time I return to the U.S., you will have a close up look at the critical need for education, our progress building schools and the impact it is making.  You will also have an opportunity to get involved and help us build more schools here in Haiti.  Stay tuned!