After nearly two years of construction, and thanks to the creation of an unprecedented multi-stakeholder alliance in Chile, the new educational facility that will house the community of the Republic of Chile School (ERCH) is standing tall, educating nearly 400 girls between 3 and 17 years.
Destroyed by the 2010 earthquake that struck the island, the new school was rebuilt thanks to the joint work between the Government of Chile represented by the Chilean Agency for International Cooperation for Development (AGCID), Komatsu Cummins Chile (KCC) and the América Solidaria (Americas Solidarity) Foundation. This alliance provided technical advice to the School of Civil Construction of Chile's Universidad Católica, and all of those who accepted the challenge ensured one of the fundamental rights of every child: Education.
In an emotional ceremony, representatives of the community of students and teachers were welcomed to the modern building, at which time symbolic handover of the keys went to the school's principal, Madame Celeste Rossette. "I am very happy because we have come home, and the girls really like the school. Now the school has three buildings and they will have a place where they will not have to be separated," she said.
The event was attended by the Director General of National Education of Haiti, Mr. Renold Telfort, who highlighted the excellent infrastructure of the new school buildings as well as the challenges for education that lie ahead, remarking that "the school has the infrastructure but it also has the students, the principal, teachers and parents' associations, and that is the school. Systematically it is being built, and now we need to strengthen the quality of the intervention and this school will have every opportunity open to the students."
The Chilean ambassador to Haiti, Mr. Raúl Fernández, expressed the joy and excitement that results from a great success in international cooperation. "It is a huge job, and a great effort of América Solidaria, Komatsu Cummins Chile and the Government of Chile, and it is with great joy that the girls receive such a well-made establishment which will provide the necessary tools so that they can grow up." The KCC President, Jeffrey Dawes, traveled from Chile specifically for this event, and expressed his happiness and his hope that the girls will enjoy their new school.
The Republic of Chile School is one of the few public schools in Haiti, and the "Reconstructing Education" project is responsible for the reconstruction phase as well as another phase of educational improvement. This is the first experience that participants from various fields worked together on a project revolving around international social cooperation. "This wonderful experience confirms that when we unite, we build a better future. This work is a concrete sign that public, private and social alliances are effective, as postulated in the UN Sustainable Development Goals," said Benito Baranda, President of the América Solidaria Foundation, who also traveled from Chile for the occasion.