The new Community Centre that stands on the grounds of the Immaculate Conception rectory, adjacent to the Palace Sans Souci, has fast become a focal point of Milot.

The beautiful and spacious top section of the center hosts a hall, a stage, kitchen serving area, toilets and cloak-rooms. Twelve choirs, each with their own bands, practice in the center on a regular base. Many perform in the Basilica every Sunday and in other churches in Milot.

The hall rarely stays empty. Parish guidance groups, youth groups, Scouts, the Red Cross, St. Vincent de Paul, Pure in Heart, Natural Family Planning groups and others flock to the community center hall for meetings. Not surprisingly, the hall has become the venue of choice for a variety of Milot social events and celebrations. The Sisters of the Holy Cross local school celebrated its 25th jubilee there and one of the Sisters celebrated her 50th jubilee as a Sister in this much loved setting.

The lower section of the community center houses six big classrooms and two large rooms where the women create gorgeous table linens, various crafts and the exquisite embroidered cards, made on locally recycled paper, that are much in demand by hospital visitors. The money earned from these enterprises provides food for the craftswomen’s families and the much needed tuition to send their children to school. The lower section also has a kitchen and servery, toilet and cloakroom facilities. The literacy school is in the lower section and the new senior school opened last Monday as well as the new preschool.

Hôpital Sacré Coeur’s Sister Ann Crawley remains a pivotal player in the school’s development. “I went to see the children on their first day at preschool and was given a great welcome as the children know me so very well from the nutrition centre,” she recalls. “The class room was beautifully decorated by the new teacher and aides with colorful mobiles dangling from the ceiling and new tables and chairs, all made locally. The children looked very happy and so beautiful in their blue and white uniforms in honor of our Blessed Lady of the Immaculate Conception.”

With her eye ever on sustainability, Sister Ann quickly points out that the children’s uniforms were made locally giving employment to the local people. Never one to stay in the spotlight, Sister Ann continues, “Needless to say, there was great excitement setting up the preschool and Fr. Tijwa was a very busy man getting it altogether and finding people to sponsor the education and nutritional needs of these poor children.   Thanks be to God for the great kindness and generosity of all who have helped in this work. I pray for God’s blessing on them and their families.”

In the days, months and years ahead, Sister Ann’s caring eyes will remain focused on the school children as she visits them regularly and checks on their wellbeing.“Most of these children are quite frail and have suffered from the pangs of hunger and disease for some years,“ she notes. “The current unemployment rate of more than 80% remains a huge factor in hunger and malnutrition. Haiti’s children are trapped in a cycle of poverty that has plagued the country for generations.

One of the most important ways to help children heal is to get them back into a routine. I realize that one effective way to break this cycle is through education and believe the old Chinese proverb that says, ‘Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.’ Thank God we were able to send about fifty children to school this year.”

“One young boy, an orphan, went to literacy school for the first time last March and has now progressed to regular school and is very happy in himself,” reports Sr. Ann. “The opportunity of education has restored his dignity and self worth.” Before starting at the school, this intelligent boy of eleven years spent all his time on the streets with no one to help or guide him. “Thank God for the opportunity of attending literacy school which has transformed his life and the lives of so many other young children since it opened about five years ago,” beams Sr. Ann.