Help Rebuild a Library in Haiti
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Short version: We need to raise $50,000 to finish the rebuilding of Bibliotheque du Soleil, a library in Haiti, and get back to offering amazing programs to the community of Carrefour-Feuilles.
Long version: Some of you know that I have been developing a library project in Carrefour-Feuilles, Haiti, with my father since 2005. It all started while I was a doctoral student at UC Berkeley. I created the nonprofit organization Haiti Soleil to support the library project. During the first 5 years, with a small dedicated team, we were able to accomplish a lot to develop the library. This is a photo of the libray in 2009.
We supported the community of Carrefour-Feuilles by offering a space for people to gather and be creative, providing resources such as free access to books of all kinds and for all ages, and organizing lectures, workshops, and presentations that focus on pressing issues. For example in November 2009, we hosted a presentation on earthquake faults by Haitian geologist Claude Preptit.
We also host an annual summer camp program for kids between ages of 5-15 years of age. One of our most successful programs, the summer camp just celebrated its 10th year this past August. This is a photo of the summer camp in 2016.
When the earthquake devastated Haiti in 2010, our modest library, Bibliotheque du Soleil, was damaged beyond repair.
And yet, we mustered enough energy to transform the space into a site for relief work for 2 years and made sure that residents of Carrefour-Feuilles received support, including psycho-social intervention. This is a photo of a community meeting at the library 2 months after the earthquake.
We are not a big organization, but we were able to accomplish big things in collaboration with other organizations to bring aid and resources to the community.
In 2012 we had to shift our focus to the rebuilding of the library. We received help from the Department of Art + Architecture at the University of San Francisco to design the new building. Because we believe in supporting the Haitian economy, we hired a Haitian firm, PETRAC, to oversee the construction. The firm has been professional and we are happy to work with them. We have spent the past 4 years on reconstruction efforts.
But we have also faced a number of challenges along the way. They say the last stage is always the hardest. Indeed, it has been difficult to get the necessary funds to complete the final phase of the reconstruction. As a result, construction was on hold inNovember 2015. This is why we began a Gufundme fundraising campaign to get your support. We were able to raise close to $3,000 to resume reconstruction. We have now secured the library with a metal fence door.
But we still need your help to complete the final stage in 2017! We must raise the additional funds to finish the library and get back to offering amazing programs to the community. Your donation will go to Haiti Soleil , a 501c3 nonprofit organization. Every cent donated will go directly to rebuilding efforts. So many of our youth and their parents are anxiously waiting for us to reopen. Please help us make this possible.
I was born in the community of Carrefour-Feuilles and spent the first 7 years of my life there. My father, Pierre A. Clitandre , a known artist, novelist, and journalist, lives in the community. The people of Carrefour-Feuilles know us and can vouch for the work we have done in the past 10 years.
A few friends and colleagues who have had an opportunity to visit the library before the earthquake described it as an oasis. Others who have seen the library at its various rebuilding stages consider it a beacon of hope for the community. We want it to stay that way.
Thank you for giving us an opportunity to continue making a difference in the community of Carrefour-Feuilles, Haiti.
Long version: Some of you know that I have been developing a library project in Carrefour-Feuilles, Haiti, with my father since 2005. It all started while I was a doctoral student at UC Berkeley. I created the nonprofit organization Haiti Soleil to support the library project. During the first 5 years, with a small dedicated team, we were able to accomplish a lot to develop the library. This is a photo of the libray in 2009.
We supported the community of Carrefour-Feuilles by offering a space for people to gather and be creative, providing resources such as free access to books of all kinds and for all ages, and organizing lectures, workshops, and presentations that focus on pressing issues. For example in November 2009, we hosted a presentation on earthquake faults by Haitian geologist Claude Preptit.
We also host an annual summer camp program for kids between ages of 5-15 years of age. One of our most successful programs, the summer camp just celebrated its 10th year this past August. This is a photo of the summer camp in 2016.
When the earthquake devastated Haiti in 2010, our modest library, Bibliotheque du Soleil, was damaged beyond repair.
And yet, we mustered enough energy to transform the space into a site for relief work for 2 years and made sure that residents of Carrefour-Feuilles received support, including psycho-social intervention. This is a photo of a community meeting at the library 2 months after the earthquake.We are not a big organization, but we were able to accomplish big things in collaboration with other organizations to bring aid and resources to the community. In 2012 we had to shift our focus to the rebuilding of the library. We received help from the Department of Art + Architecture at the University of San Francisco to design the new building. Because we believe in supporting the Haitian economy, we hired a Haitian firm, PETRAC, to oversee the construction. The firm has been professional and we are happy to work with them. We have spent the past 4 years on reconstruction efforts.
But we have also faced a number of challenges along the way. They say the last stage is always the hardest. Indeed, it has been difficult to get the necessary funds to complete the final phase of the reconstruction. As a result, construction was on hold inNovember 2015. This is why we began a Gufundme fundraising campaign to get your support. We were able to raise close to $3,000 to resume reconstruction. We have now secured the library with a metal fence door.
But we still need your help to complete the final stage in 2017! We must raise the additional funds to finish the library and get back to offering amazing programs to the community. Your donation will go to Haiti Soleil , a 501c3 nonprofit organization. Every cent donated will go directly to rebuilding efforts. So many of our youth and their parents are anxiously waiting for us to reopen. Please help us make this possible.
I was born in the community of Carrefour-Feuilles and spent the first 7 years of my life there. My father, Pierre A. Clitandre , a known artist, novelist, and journalist, lives in the community. The people of Carrefour-Feuilles know us and can vouch for the work we have done in the past 10 years.
A few friends and colleagues who have had an opportunity to visit the library before the earthquake described it as an oasis. Others who have seen the library at its various rebuilding stages consider it a beacon of hope for the community. We want it to stay that way.
Thank you for giving us an opportunity to continue making a difference in the community of Carrefour-Feuilles, Haiti.
Organizer
Haiti Soleil
Organizer
Berkeley, CA