For the past three years, it has been a blessing to see children, who would have never had the chance to go to school, obtain their education right within their own neighborhood. In 2005 we began with a small group of thirty five children, this new school year 2008-2009 we anticipate an enrollment of over one hundred and fifty children.

Our current school building project will require serious funding and while we have been getting help, we realize that there is so much more that will be needed.

School desk, projection equipments, alternative energy equipment (since there is less than eight hours of energy supplied throughout a twenty four hour period and most of that time is early morning and late evening), we want to install baking ovens as well for our school cafeteria and during the morning hours provide a bakery service (training young men and women to bake breads and pastries) which will in turn help support the growing school financially as well as create a great business opportunity for the foundation to continue growing into other depressed areas of the country.

The children line up as they prepare to salute the flag And enter into the class room for the afternoon session.

The first year in 2005, we obtained a small location; there were no bathrooms, no water and hardly any light.

After a brief mission trip from our family friends from Louisiana, the school began to take shape and color.
Here are some of those smiling faces.

They began to learn fractions and improve reading skills. The children do not have desk but that is not a deterrent for them, since now they have a school right close to home.

The children are our future and for this small depressed fisherman's village there was no hope until recently. Now they can go to school and with your help many more can also obtain the same help.

We divided the two bedroom home into a three classroom school with grades 1-6 and also we included a preschool level later on in the second year.

Pre-school and 1st grade (2005-2006)

Haitian School; which taught the children of Haitian immigrants, also ran from grades 1-5 with classes in Creole and Spanish.

The children have now a snack provided, since many of them go a day or two without a meal so we are trying to send them home with at least something in their stomachs.

They love the grits prepared extra sweet, as you can tell on the smiles on their face.

The children gather around on the floor to enjoy their snack.

Mercedes Martinez, more affectionately known as Chea, prepares the meals and cleans the school, she has been a great help and this 62 year old ball of fire will never let you down. Building Families has worked closely with her in rebuilding her home and giving her work which she enjoys and that is serving others.

Preschoolers gather around their work table as the teacher comforts one child who is for the first time in school.

The others are busy being prepared for class time and assignments.

The crowded classrooms and lack of school desk has caused us to launch the new building project which broke ground earlier this year.

Our building project is currently designed to school approximately 150 children and a classroom for trade school as well. We plan to teach baking and computer technician courses.

The entire community came and pitched in with the school foundation setting. Labor cost is inexpensive here so there we are saving a lot already.

Truckloads of sand for cement mixing purposes were unloaded and due to the limited space had to be mixed immediately and poured.

Columns were being placed and prepared for the concrete blocks to be set for the first level. The reason for this eagerness is that this location used to be a drug point of sale and the corner was so corrupt with traffic and violence that parents did not want their children walking in the area. When we purchased the building the families were so content and now determined and hopeful for this corner to be a center of education and hope. Your contribution will help to support this project.