Bill Clinton in Haiti visits Food For The Poor sponsored school
COCONUT CREEK, Fla. (March 13, 2009) —Former President Bill Clinton visited Marguerite Naseau school sponsored by Food For The Poor in Cité Soleil, Haiti, March 9. Through education, Food For The Poor strives to break cycles of poverty that have ensnared generations for centuries.
During President Clinton’s recent trip to Haiti he reminded students that, “Haiti was [once on] the richest island in all of the Caribbean… because of the natural resources, because of what God had put into the land. It can be again, because of the resources in your mind and in your heart.”
At Marguerite Naseau, children and their mothers are encouraged to learn with supportive resources and teachers. In addition to the school, the Marguerite Naseau compound offers a school feeding program, women’s training center, nutrition center and clinic. Marguerite Naseau school is operated by nuns of the order of Sisters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul.
“The Sisters of Charity do a wonderful job to make Marguerite Naseau school a beautiful place in the midst of so much ugliness,” said Executive Director Angel Aloma. “In Cité Soleil there have been many years of violence and unrest. This school has remained a fortress to the glory of God in the midst of despair. Food For The Poor provides assistance each month to Marguerite Naseau to pay teachers’ salaries. Food, sewing machines, school supplies and medical supplies are also frequently donated to Marguerite Naseau.”
Haitian mothers, even with limited resources, take great pride in dressing up their children for school. Children typically wear uniforms, and girls’ hair is braided with colorful ribbons, clips and beads. The sewing machines provided by Food For The Poor enable mothers to sew school uniforms, embroider tablecloths, placemats, napkins and embroider all-occasion greeting cards.
The nutrition center is where malnourished children, often at the point of death, come with their mothers to be nurtured and nourished back to good health. This program teaches mothers how to properly care for their children’s nutrition and hygiene. Additionally, Marguerite Naseau clinic enables individuals who otherwise could not afford medical attention to receive care and medication.
Food For The Poor, the largest international relief and development organization in the nation, does much more than feed millions of the hungry poor in 17 countries of the Caribbean and Latin America. Since 1982, we have provided clean water, medicines, educational materials, homes, support for orphans and the aged, skills training and emergency relief, with more than 96 percent of all donations going directly to programs that help the poor. For more information visit www.foodforthepoor.org/
Contact:
Jennifer Leigh Oates
Public Relations Coordinator
(954) 427-2222 x 6054
[email protected]
