IA East and IA Central Students Visit Haiti, Build Schools

IA EAST & IA CENTRAL VISIT HAITI, BUILD SCHOOLS

For the third year in a row, students from International Academy East and International Academy Central have traveled to developing countries to help construct schools with an international organization called BuildOn. The past two years, groups of students visited Honduras and Malawi; this year 13 IA students helped build a school in Haiti, where students have been waiting over four years for help.

According to IAE student organizer senior Amy Bray-Cotton, their goal is to support BuildOn’s efforts in developing countries around the globe by raising money and building schools: “IAE and IAC combined raised $30,000 for our BuildOn project this year. We travelled to a village that didn’t have electricity or clean running water.” But the trip was not just about construction. The students stayed with host families in the village, many of whom had children who will attend the school. “It was great to spend time with the kids,” continued Bray-Cotton. “On the first night, we were welcomed by a vibrant, musical march with all of the villagers, and by the end of the evening, many of us had two or more little kids by our side.”

IAE Guidance Counselor and BuildOn sponsor Julie Weatherhead observed the interaction between students and members of the Haitian community, and saw them becoming personally involved in their mission, “Our students really felt the impact of where the money they raised for building supplies and a lifetime of education is going. They tuned into the importance of being present, together as people, and appreciating the things they have back home.” Bray-Cotton agreed, concluding “Despite the struggles that the country has been through, the atmosphere was always full of energetic music, the brightest smiles, and genuine love. I was surrounded by the happiest people I have ever met, which is something I’ll never forget.”

BuildOn works in some of the poorest countries on the planet to build schools in villages that have historically had no adequate school structure. Their mission is to provide education to break the cycle of poverty in developing countries around the globe, and to date they have built more than 1,196 schools in seven countries: Burkina Faso, Haiti, Mali, Malawi, Nepal, Nicaragua and Senegal.

Photo captions:

Tshirts: Julie Weatherhead, Amy Bray-Cotton, Simran Dhaliwal, Eleanor Smith, Shikha Lakhani, Rebecca Smith, Nina Boddakayala

Amy Dancing: Amy Bray-Cotton dancing during the closing ceremony with a little boy who will attend the completed buildOn school

Chum Chum: From left to right- Nina Boddakayala, Alexandra Grypinich, Eleanor Smith, Rebecca Smith participating in the preparation of a traditional Haitian sweet known as Chum Chum

IAE BuildOn1 & 2: Group leaving the airport, group in Haiti