Press Release

United States government donates us$7 million to the haitian government’s budget to open the school year

September 25, 2006
No. 2006/66

On September 25, 2006, the Government of the United States, through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), gave a check to the Haitian government for seven million dollars to augment their budget for fiscal year 2005-2006.  This period covers the kickoff of the 2006-2007 academic year.  The donation was made in support of the Haitian people.

These funds were allocated in support of a program to distribute textbooks from the Ministry of Education and Professional Training for the new academic year. The six editors participating in this program are: Maison Henri Deschamps, Editions Areytos, Editions Collège du Canapé-Vert, Editions CUC-Université Caraïbe, Livrets Méthodistes et Edisyon Bon-Nouvèl. More than two million textbooks were printed with the assistance of USAID. This year, the program concentrates on essential subjects such as mathematics, Creole and French for the pupils from the first through the sixth year of primary school.

Books will be distributed by the Ministry of Education and Professional Training to more than 2,200 impoverished schools throughout the country, to be rented to the pupils at these establishments. This approach will allow the schools to use these textbooks over several years, and because of this, will give hundreds of thousands of schoolchildren access to quality school equipment.

The American government is proud to bring assistance to Haitian families by reducing the cost of educating their children. In total, United States Government, through USAID, has provided more than US$14 million in support of the Haitian government program for the opening of the 2006-2007 school year. 

This assistance includes the provision of textbooks, a school cafeteria meal program, renovation of the elementary schools, the donation of equipment, the allocation of grants and of school supplies for 16,000 pupils. The United States Government, through USAID, also donated US$8.5 million in order to support the Government of Haiti’s efforts to increase access to quality education for primary school students, and for the establishment of a socioeconomic reintegration program for dropouts and those who never started school. These programs are managed in partnership with a group of non-governmental organizations.

 

(End of Text)