Hi!  

On behalf of BonaResponds thank you for volunteering to write letters to students in Haiti! BonaResponds first became active in Haiti following an earthquake that hit the country in 2010. Several of our leaders went down to Haiti and quickly realized that the need was far greater than simply rebuilding from the earthquake. Since that time we’ve sent down literal tons of school books, school supplies, and other necessities in addition to creating a scholarship fund that currently pays for over 40 students to go to school. Unlike in the United States, students in Haiti have to pay to go to school from the time they are in kindergarten through college.

Helping Haitians escape from poverty and going on to lead productive and useful lives is our goal, learning English is one of the most important steps in the escape. Thats where you come in! There is no better way to learn English than using it, so we’ve started a pen pal program where you will be writing to a student who is about the same age as you in Haiti and they’ll be replying. This give you a chance to learn about their culture and lifestyle and them to do the same.

Some topics that you may like to discuss:

• What you do for fun
• What you are interested in (sports/books etc.)
• What the weather is like in Western New York
• What you want to do when you grow up
• Anything else that you want to!

Some topics that should be avoided:

• Religion
• Politics
• Money (please don’t brag about what you have, remember this country has a large amount of poverty and they don’t enjoy the same luxuries we do) Also do not send money.  If you want to help financially make a donation to either BonaResponds or HaitiScholarships and we will send the money through verified channels.  Money sent through the mail may be taken.

Again thank you for taking part in the pen pal system! We hope that you forge a great relationship with your peers in Haiti!

Please do follow up with them.  It is not just write a letter and forget about them.  Maybe try to write a letter once a week, or a couple times a month.

The addresses of the schools are:

School names                                                                                                                                          Adress

College Jim Mahar (Contact Wesley Jean Louis) 14, Chatuley Leogane, Haiti

TEACHAITI ENGLISH AND COMPUTING           13, Cite Residentielle Gonaives, Haiti

Collège Mixte le Visionnaire                                11, Route barrière jeudi, Dufort  Léogâne

Institution Abélard                                                       Chatuley, Léogâne

Ecole mixte des oliviers                                                Route nationale#2, Carrefour Colas

Annonciation de Darbone                                           Darbone

Martin Luther King                                                 310, Rue d’Anjou, Léogâne

Kay Amboise                                                           Rue Pertheveno, Léogâne

Institution mixte Chrétienne                             Angle Rue de la liberté, Léogâne  

 CJM has a primary and a secondary school.  (so up to High school)

Teachaiti English and computing works with all ages.

the others (for now are primary schools)--so up to roughly age 14.  

How to mail: 

It is easy, just like a normal letter except you will need a special stamp from any US post office.  The stamps cost  $1.15.

We will provide some money for the schools in Haiti to pay for postage for the return letters.