Ecole Communautaire De L'Odevich is a private kindergarten and primary school serving approximately 90 children ages 3-5 and grades 1st through 5th with a volunteer staff of 6 presently. The school has been in operation staffed by volunteers since 2006 starting out as summer camps to assess the local educational need. It is not registered with MENFP due to having a temporary type facilities, although Mr. Bise Wood has reapplied for registration with a description of plans for a new school. A parcel of land has been donated to the school up the road from the temporary school; transfer of title is in process. The temporary school has a latrine and makeshift kitchen where a meal per day is served. Tuition fees are 350 gourdes per 10 month school year (the area is very poor).

Logistical issues common to this rural site:
• No current public transportation
• No potable water source
• No grid power source

The school is being assisted by HELP a child for various small projects; they are dedicated to help fund a new school on the donated site, the amount is undetermined. Their wish is to involve the village to construct the school and other improvements such as a village water source that could also be a means of support for the school.

Note: The village site has been used as a getaway site for boy scouts, churches, and schools due to the great views and remote area with little direct benefit to the village or the school.

SITE INFORMATION:

Access and Surrounding Area
Their location is very rural in the hills above Carrefour feuilles approximately 6 kilometers (45 minutes) from the National Palace. The temporary school and new school site are less than a kilometer apart and located on a reasonably maintained road to and past the limestone mines that requires a 4x drive to access. The school site itself is accessible by vehicle and is adjacent to the road. The surrounding area is brushy with medium tree density.

Site Specific information
The new site is approximately 172 m2 (1,851 sf) as taken from Google Earth (verify upon receiving official site information). It has a gentle slope down from the roadside with medium density foliage and has a few trees within the boundaries. There have been no improvements to the site; there is no available power.

CURRENT SITUATION:

The one room school serves Kindergarten – 5th grade or 90 students.
• Temporary classroom on concrete slab with tarp walls and corrugated metal roof.
• Temporary Latrine is under construction
• Kitchen is makeshift but functional
• Damaged and unusable house was previously used as Director’s Office/Storage

The school will continue in temporary quarters and the existing damaged building will be repaired and used for storage and as a guest house. They have been asked to provide proof of ownership and Ministry registration when it is available; a letter of recommendation will be written by Architecture for Humanity in support of ODEVICH.

PROGRAM for NEW SCHOOL:

The ODEVICH group and is planning to add a middle school section through 9th grade and facilitate a trade school component catering to widows and men of the village for added skills and income in the following areas:
• Sewing/knitting
• Carpentry
• Cooking

The new buildings should be planned to accommodate growth to 350 students in a K-9 format plus trade school:
• 9 Classrooms with accompanying living space/storage
• 5 Administrative Offices
• Conference Room
• Kitchen with storage
• Multi-purpose space for cafeteria and other uses
• Nurses Office/Exam Room
• Nurse living quarters
• Latrines

RECOMMENDATIONS:

1. Continue operations under temporary shelter
2. Pending proof of land ownership and registration with the Ministry of Education, proceed with a Pre-Planning/Design package to better enable fundraising for construction
3. Create phased construction documents after eligibility requirements have been met
4. Construct school

Location