Cite Soleil Community School
A ray of hope
Cite Soleil, a shanty town on the outskirts of Port-au-Prince is one of the poorest places in the world. Because of indescribable poverty and a high level of social unrest and violence brought on by prolonged desperation, Cite Soleil receives little in the way of foreign partnership efforts.
Very few schools exist in Cite Soleil and because parents in the community struggle to feed their children, many cannot afford the tuition needed to send them to school. As a result, countless children spend their days on the streets, often winding up in gangs.
Cite Soleil Community School (CSCS) is a tuition-free elementary and secondary school for students in the heart of Cite Soleil. CSCS is staffed by dedicated and capable Haitian educators who instruct the 200+ students enrolled in the school. Haiti Allies has been in partnership with CSCS since 1994.
Haiti is a country where less than 50% of all children start school, and only 15% of the schools are publicly funded. CSCS focuses on the immediate task of feeding hungry children and the long-term goal of education and providing a sense of possibility for the future.
Since the earthquake of 2010, CSCS has been operating out of a temporary tarp-and-plywood structure. They dream of replacing this temporary structure with a permanent school building and community opportunity center.