Dear Tek4Kids Supporters,
Thank you! We greatly appreciate the prayers and support from all of you. You are helping to make a difference in many lives and in our mission in Haiti. As 2021 is coming to a close, Haiti continues to struggle with multiple, unrelenting crises including on-going earthquakes, hurricanes, assassinations, gangs, and corruption. This state of unpredictability is having a major impact on Tek4Kids. We apply to many educational grants, and one recent response stated they would not consider donating funds to anyone in Haiti fearing the funds would not get utilized correctly. Please understand that everything donated to Tek4Kids goes directly to teaching and providing purified water to 2500 students. Despite the fears, payroll for our teachers, teams maintaining the solar and water purification systems, Smart Board teams, and other expenses have not diminished. This is not the time to stop giving, and we are not giving up!
Please pray for our son, Michael, as he travels home for the holidays this week. As long as conditions in Haiti do not worsen, Michael and I plan to be back in Jérémie in early January. Travel is the most dangerous part of our efforts. The city of Jérémie and our building are still relatively safe compared to the rest of Haiti because the community and the police are working together. While uncertain of how long Jérémie will remain safe, Michael and I will continue to dedicate our lives to improving lives and providing opportunities in Jérémie, Haiti.
Since 2009, Tek4Kids has equipped six schools with 12 computer/Smartboard classrooms with more than 350 Lenovo laptops and begun iPad/smartboard education in 2 high-schools and 6 elementary schools, serving nearly 2,000 students. We are proud of our Haitian educational and business teams.
We believe that education is the most sustainable way to break poverty cycles. Through our educational programs, our entire Tek4Kids staff of 20 hopes to supply Haitian youth with tools to lift themselves out of economic hardship. Even more, we will to provide a foundation to impact the trajectory of future generations. Tek4Kids partners with existing schools so that our efforts can be used as blueprints for similar programs around the country; and we recently hosted a collaboration/training meeting for our partner school teachers in Jérémie. The technology we use in the classrooms, including laptops, iPads, and smartboards, gives the student access to whole new worlds of knowledge. By opening up research sources on the internet, providing learning software and educational apps, as well as teaching MS Office products and typing, we are not only enhancing critical thinking, but also greatly increasing employment prospects for students. The students we serve will develop skills required for employment in technology related fields.
I cannot stress enough how much we need your support! Included below is a recap of our past and continuing efforts in Jérémie, Haiti. Please contact me if you would like more information or a presentation.
Peace and Blessings,
Gary A. Boice, OFS
garyb@tek4kids.org
502-693-3703
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Cathy and I, along with our Haitian staff, are very excited about the difference Tek4Kids is making in Jérémie. Our efforts NOW benefit our students AND extend beyond to their families and future generations. Tek4Kids (T4K) is in a busy and transformative time. Our involvement in Haiti has evolved and greatly expanded both in scope and the number of students who benefit. Beginning with one water purification system, Tek4Kids now has nine partner schools with water purification, electricity and technology in most schools. We provide purified water to 2,500 students each school day.
We currently have 14 teachers utilizing smartboards, iPads and laptops for most of the students in these schools. Using technology to prepare students for employment is our primary focus.
In addition, our three-year technical school – St. Francis School of Technology (SFST) – has graduated three classes thus far. These students are trained in networking, Microsoft Server, programming, database, web design and other areas of study including English. Cathy and I started Technology Integrators Caribbean (TIC), a for profit company, in order to hire many of our students and to enhance job opportunities in Jérémie. Tek4Kids responded to the Covid-19 pandemic by distributing 676,000 gallons of purified water at six partner school locations around Jérémie, free of charge. Since residents do not have easy access to clean water for drinking and handwashing, this help was essential.
The Tek4Kids Haiti office and SFST now occupy our new facility with 8 classrooms, office space and internet access. We have 50 Haitian teachers and staff members working from the building! This extra space has allowed us to expand our outreach to the community. T4K and TIC partnered to bring evening and weekend classes for business technology training, as well as robot construction and programming for schools.
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We invite you to learn more about Haiti and our work there. Please consider helping Tek4Kids financially at www.tek4kids.org/donate – 100% of your donation goes directly to our work in Haiti. We are making a difference!! Our students will advance Haiti toward a more prosperous future.
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Begun in 2018, Technology Integrators Caribbean (TIC) is a for-profit business operating in both New Albany, Indiana and Jérémie, Haiti that will use its future profits to benefit Tek4Kids’ work in Jérémie. TIC currently employs several graduates of the St. Francis School of Technology to provide services such as Technology Consulting & Maintenance, Server and Networking Products and Consulting, Programming/ Databases/ Websites, Security, Energy, and Education Technology. Find out more at www.techincaribe.com.
TIC recently updated the Hello, Jérémie! www.hellojeremie.ht. The site was created by website designers who occupy space in the new Jérémie Enterprise & Technology (JET) building to introduce the community of Jérémie as the technology center of Haiti it hopes to become. Please call or email me for more information or projects that we can handle for you. 502-693-3703.
