Page 6 - Rotary Matters - August 2020 - v2

Rotary Club of Encounter Bay - BRINGS LITERACY TO HAITI

They are doing it tough in Haiti. It is the second poorest country in the world. Only 15% are
literate and the country of 11 million people are in the midst of the COVID-19 epidemic. Being
illiterate makes written communications almost impossible and being poor means social isolation
doesn’t work as people need to earn money to feed their families. Things we take for granted like

clean running water and soap, and a social security safety net aren’t available. Following the Cholera
outbreak in 2010 where 80,000 people died many were killed, as this was their way to control that
epidemic. Many want a similar approach to COVID-19, so it doesn’t pay to declare illness in Haiti.
Deaths are escalating rapidly.

The Rotary Club of Encounter Bay has worked over a three-year period to help the Haitians learn
to read in their own language (Creole) and in the official language, French. It is currently publishing

children’s books written by a team of authors from within the club.

This year, 7 books were written by Rotarians that reflect the Haitian culture, and 6000 copies will
soon be made available to schools, libraries and teachers. As part of this project, the Rotary Club
of Encounter Bay employed a language specialist from Haiti, and employed 7 different Haitian
artists to illustrate the books, which will also be printed in Haiti. These books, and those previously
supplied, will form the basis of a thrust to help the predominantly African (slave) population become
literate while also supporting their need for employment.

The authors this year were Madeleine Jenkins, Ken Carter, Cherilyn Fleming, Kathy Carter, and Peter
Manuel. Any funding to help with distribution would be appreciated.

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