May 15, 2017 - In October of 2007 a trip was made to a remote village named Drouin (pronounced Dway) on the west side of the country of Haiti. Drouin is located in the Arbonite Region of Haiti. It is a 4 hour drive North West of the capital. It is the rice growing area of Haiti and is prone to flooding and extreme heat. The poverty, the lack of fresh water, the mundane diet of rice and maybe a few black beans and the lack of education opportunity made a dramatic impact. As Stepstones became a reality and incorporated in 2009, a new reality was dawning in Drouin as a school building was erected.
The school has been greatly impacted by Center, Texas. Metal for the roof was donated by a local business, desks, dry-erase boards, student and teacher desks, and filing cabinets were donated by CISD. There have been men who have traveled to work on, teach at and around the school from Center. Eight teachers are presently teaching an increasing number of students.
This six room school houses a little over 380 students. The class size averages around 50 students. The school day is divided into two sections to accommodate the older students in the afternoon so they can work in the rice fields early in the morning. We are well over capacity and are in a great need to expand the present rooms. The cost to expand the rooms and remodel with tile, paint, louvered windows and iron security bars will cost $21,000.
Stepstones is in need of businesses, individuals, foundations and churches to join us in continuing to provide an education for the children in Drouin. The only way a nation can rise out of poverty is through the Gospel of Jesus Christ and Education. Every mother and father desires to see their children have a better life than they have had. This is true in Drouin as well. Children attend school for free and every day they receive a hot meal. The students are testing very high on the national tests and have high expectations. The teachers are paid $125 per month which is above the national average.
Four more teachers could be hired if donations of $6,000 per year were given. This can be achieved through one time donations or through monthly installments. Anyone interested in helping meet these critical needs can contact Mike Brister at 936-591-8877, email at mike.stepstones@yahoo.com or send contributions made payable to Stepstones Ministry International to P.O. Box 1988 Center, Texas 75935. All donations are tax-deductible.
