Port-au-Prince, November 13. In the courtyard of the “EFACAP” school in Kenskoff about three hundred children begin singing the national anthem to open the distribution ceremony of kits and school uniforms in the presence of a representative of the Ministry of National Education and Vocational Training, the Mayor of Kenscoff, the Director of the Economic and Social Assistance Fund (FAES) and representatives of donors. More than 500 kits will be distributed this day and give each child a backpack, notebooks, pens and pencils, four manuals and two sets of uniform.
The distribution is part of the ongoing distribution across the countrythat started at the beginning of the school year as a part of Component 2 of the Support Programme for the Restructuring of the Education Sector in Haiti. The program's objective is to support the reconstruction of school facilities in Haiti and expand access to preschool and basic quality education. Component 2 of the program includes the provision of school kits and learning materials.
In total, 120,000 Kits with materials for elementary school, 480,000 textbooks and 235,827 school uniforms will be given to children in preschool and from grades 1 to 6. The distribution is expected to reach 292 schools and 180,000 students in all 10 departments of the country. Also 800 kits will be distributed to teachers.
To date, seven of the ten departments have been covered and more than 80,000 students have already benefited kits. Distribution has been slowed down because of difficulties reaching more isolated areas following Hurricane Sandy. The departments of the Nippes, Grand Anse and the Centre are the last to be covered.
The program is funded by the IDB (USD 50 million) and co-financed by CIDA (USD 20 million) and the HRF (USD 10 million).