Education
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Lahai Roi School was founded by Pastor Sidor and his wife in 2010 with 65 students meeting in the one-room church of Piatre. In 2012, they were able to purchase a piece of land and construct the first school in the history of the village. Since that time, multiple buildings have been added and enrollment at the school has grown to almost 400 students in 1st-5th grades. These children receive a quality education and two nutritional meals a day, which is a significant benefit not available to most Haitian children. More importantly, the students are exposed to biblical truth and shown the love of Christ by highly qualified and dedicated teachers and staff.
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The cost per student at Lahai Roi School is about $230 per year which covers food, uniforms and supplies for the children plus operating expenses at the school. Since most students who attend the school live in extreme poverty, a majority of the cost is covered by donors. The leadership at the school believes that children generally get the most out of their education when their family maintains some stake in the educational process; therefore, a small tuition of less than $20 per year is charged. Scholarships are offered for students who cannot qualify financially.
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The long-term goal of the Lahai Roi Foundation is to gradually expand the size of the school one grade at a time until students can complete all levels of their preparatory education without having to travel outside of the area. Many times, students are forced to stop attending school simply due to geography and the increased costs of additional travel. A high-quality education provides a valuable foundation for the students and affords them the best chance of becoming a self-sustaining member of the community once they become an adult.
Lahai Roi School has recently expanded to include adult English classes on Saturday mornings. To meet the growing demand for more teachers, the ministry has also started teacher-training classes which provide a path for young adults in the community to start a career in teaching. Without this program, many of these individuals would never be able to pursue their dream of higher education.