This is an email we received from Raymonde Rocourt, principal at the Aux Alizés school in Haiti where Dr. Caleb Gattegno’s educational approach is extensively used. As you may be aware, we did a comprehensive teacher training program in Haiti in December. Our thoughts are with the people of Haiti and we are actively trying to make contact with those we worked with; we will keep you up to date on any news we receive.

For further information, please contact info@educationalsolutions.com

On Tuesday January 12, 2010 around 4h50 Pm, as we were about to close our school “Aux Alizés”, my daughter Patrica, 3 of my grand children Ann-Koraly (12), Karl-Philippe (8), Kristian (5); 1 student Jean-Frédérique (10); our secretary Gémima; 2 teachers Sabina and Joanne; 3 guardians men Jacnet, Jean , Antoine; our security guard Mario and myself Raymonde have lived a real nightmare, an ordeal that I cannot really describe during a whole, long lasting, dark minute.

Indeed, that day, the 7.0 earthquake hit us hard and broke down several places surrounding our school but, thanks to God, all 12 of us who were still on site did not suffer any physical wounds but we certainly got deeply traumatized. Karl-Philippe did not say a word until very late at night and he eats very few since then. As soon as we felt the quake, we moved and stood under the doors arcades or bins during the strong shaking of the earth.

We ran away from the house right after and stayed as a group holding each other tightly while listening to desperate cries coming from the neighborhood where houses went down, kids got hurt, people were bleeding, cistern got broken and water was flowing all over. Our damages at school are enormous. The main building is still standing but shows major wall cracks all over. Some inside walls got off the poles and ceiling to which they were attached but are still in place and may fall anytime. No glass windows or doors broke down during the heavy shaking which is hard to believe because during the quake flowers pots, plants hanging here and there, garbage cans got flown away.

Everything inside my office and in the administrative office is on the floor i.e. computers, all what was on shelves and so on. Fence walls around the school property got partially down in some areas and completely in others. Patricia’s car parked in front of the school got severely/heavily damaged. Actually, we are looking for our civil engineer to go with us to the school for an inspection of the extent of the damages for further decisions. We’re still under shock because “aftermaths “are still shaking our land from time to time. This morning we had one again.

As soon as we can enter the school and make the inventory, we’ll send update about the damages. Today, local phone communications start over again and so I could know that 1st grade teachers Sabina and Marie Kerline have several cracks/fissures in their house; 3rd grade teacher Venette lost her house; our guardian man Jacnet lost his house also. We still cannot reach 4 of our teachers and hope they‘re OK at their end. Besides the school building itself, 2 of our board members – Marie-Therese Angus and her daughter Diana together with Bernard Angus with his wife Debbie and 3 kids have lost their house which completely collapsed. They’ve lost everything and can be classified as sinister.

On behalf of all of us, I thank everyone who spontaneously got concerned about us in our drama, our tragedy. Many of you wish to help us restore our damages by sending money. The best would be to “transfer funds” to our bank account specifying names of donators and desired use.

We’re all thankful to our Lord that we suffered only these damages and we hope that the 158 students who had already left the school premises did not lose their love ones and properties. This situation caused a real disaster for the People of Haiti as a whole!

Raymonde Rocourt
Principal of Aux Alizés