What If-Foundation

TO FUND AND SUPPORT OUR HAITIAN PARTNER, NA RIVE, IN DELIVERING CRITICAL PROGRAMS FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF HAITIAN CHILDREN AND THEIR FAMILIES.

LAMANJAY FOOD PROGRAM: EVERY MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY, THE NA RIVE COOKING TEAM SERVES A HOT, NUTRITIOUS MEAL TO THE CHILDREN WHO LIVE NEARBY. UP TO 400 MEALS ARE DISTRIBUTED WITH LOVE EACH AFTERNOON IN THE COMMUNITY CAFETERIA. IN ADDITION, EVERY SCHOOL DAY, BETWEEN 350 TO 400 STUDENDS AND STAFF OF THE FATHER JERI SCHOOL ARE SERVED LUNCH IN THE SCHOOL CAFETERIA. THIS IS A RARE OCCURRENCE IN HAITI SINCE MOST SCHOOLS DO NOT PROVIDE FOOD TO THEIR STUDENTS. FINALLY, NA RIVE ALSO CREATED A FOOD PANTRY WHERE DISPLACED FAMILIES CAN PICK UP RICE AND BEANS TO COOK AT HOME. UP TO 60 FAMILIES VISIT THE FOOD PANTRY EACH WEEK (WHICH AMOUNTS TO APPROXIMATELY 240 MEALS PER WEEK), KEEPING NUTRITION ON THEIR TABLES AND SAVING THEM FROM WALKING MILES TO TI PLAS KAZO EVERY DAY. SPECIFICALLY, SOME FAMILIES STILL RELYING ON THE FOOD PROGRAM WERE DISPLACED FROM TI PLAS KAZO AFTER THE POSTEARTHQUAKE TENT CAMP THAT WAS LOCATED NEXT TO THE FOOD PROGRAM WAS DISMANTLED BY THE GOVERNMENT. THESE FAMILIES WERE FORCED TO MOVE AND THOUGH MANY ENDED UP QUITE FAR FROM THE NEIGHBORHOOD, THE LACK OF SIMILAR PROGRAMS AND RELIABILITY OF THIS PROGRAM DRAWS THEM BACK TO TI PLAS KAZO. IN TOTAL, THE LAMANJAM COMMUNITY FOOD PROGRAM SERVED APPROXIMATELY 5,000 MEALS PER WEEK IN 2021. SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM KEY PROGRAM INFORMATION AND DATA: WE CURRENTLY CONTINUE TO SUPPORT A STEADILY DECLINING NUMBER OF THE "GRANDFATHERED" SCHOLARSHIP STUDENTS. FOR THE 2021-22 SCHOOL YEAR, WE ARE SUPPORTING 27 SCHOLARSHIP STUDENTS. ADDITIONALLY, WE INCREASED OUR SUPPORT OF POST-GRADUATE SCHOLARSHIPS TO MEDICAL SCHOOL AND TECHNICAL COLLEGE, SPENDING A TOTAL OF 25,000 IN SUPPORT OF STUDENTS IN OUR SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM IN 2021. FATHER JERI SCHOOL KEY PROGRAM INFORMATION AND DATA: THE FATHER JERI SCHOOL WELCOMED ITS FIRST STUDENTS ON SEPTEMBER 5, 2016. IN THE 2021-2022 SCHOOL YEAR, THE ENROLLMENT IS NEARING 500 STUDENTS, AGED 3-19 YEARS OLD, IN PRE-K THROUGH HIGH SCHOOL. A. THE FATHER JERI SCHOOL (FJS) HAS OVER 70 PAID FACULTY AND STAFF, INCLUDING CUSTODIANS, TECHNICIANS, AND SUPPORT STAFF. B. FJS STAFF INCLUDES TEACHERS WHO HAVE MET ALL STATE REQUIRED EDUCATION AND TRAINING REQUIREMENTS. C. FJS STAFF ALSO INCLUDES CLASSROOM ASSISTANTS, ESPECIALLY IN THE KINDER CLASSES WHO ALSO ARE REQUIRED TO MEET STATE MANDATE TRAINING. D. THE SCHOOL HAS THE CAPACITY TO SERVE 456 STUDENTS. ENROLLMENT FOR THE 2020-21 SURPASSED 450. E. CURRENT EFFORTS TO EXPAND THE SCHOOL BUILDING TO ACCOMODATE MORE STUDENTS ARE UNDERWAY. F. IN 2021, WIF PROVIDED QUARTERLY DISBURSEMENTS OF ABOUT 33,450 FOR AN ANNUAL TOTAL OF 133,821 IN OPERATIONAL SUPPORT AND 17,085 IN ADDITIONAL GRANTS TO SUPPORT FACILITY UPGRADES, INCLUDING SOLAR PANELS. G. IN 2021, FJS DID NOT HOLD SUMMER CAMP DUE TO ONGOING SECURITY CONCERNS, VIOLENCE, AND KIDNAPPINGS. H. WIF SUPPORTED THE PURCHASE OF A COMPUTER LAB CONSISTING OF 20 COMPUTERS, 2 PRINTERS, AND ADDITIONAL SUPPLIES. A TOTAL OF 200,726.17 WAS PROVIDED TO SUPPORT THE EDUCATION INITIAVES OF NA RIVE. EMERGENCY RELIEF: SINCE ITS INCEPTION, THE WHAT IF FOUNDATION HAS STOOD IN SOLIDARITY WITH THE HAITIAN PEOPLE THROUGH POLITICAL TURMOIL, ECONOMIC CRISES, THE DEVASTATING EARTHQUAKES OF 2010 AND 2021, FROUGHT, AND CHOLERA EPIDEMIC, 2016'S HURRICANE MATTHEW AND MANY OTHER CHALLENGES. WHENEVER A MAJOR DISASTER HITS, WE LAUNCH SPECIAL FUNDRAISING CAMPAIGNS TO SUPPORT EMERGENCY RELIEF EFFORTS IN TI PLAS KAZO AND BEYOND. NA RIVE'S KNOWHOW AND EXTENSIVE NETWORK IN FOOD PURCHASING AND DISTRIBUTIO, COUPLED WITH OUR FUNDRAISING ABILITIES, ALLOW US TO RESPOND QUICKLY AND EFFECTIVELY, PROVIDING FOOD, WATER, AND MEDICAL CLINICS TO AFFECTED COMMUNITIES - OFTEN BEFORE LARGER ORGANIZATIONS CAN GET THERE. ON AUGUST 14, 2021 HAITI EXPERIENCED A DEVASTING EARTHQUAKE, AFFECTING THE SOUTHERN REGION OF THE COUNTRY. WHAT IF FOUNDATION PROVIDED OUR PROGRAM PARTNER WITHA TOTAL OF 99,746.85 IN DIRECT SUPPORT TO AID IN THE DELIVERY OF FOOD, MEDICAL CARE, AND TEMPORARY SHELTER FOR THOSE IMPACTED BY THE DISASTER.