2010: Haiti Challenge

When Haiti was struck by a 7.0 magnitude earthquake just outside Port-au-Prince, over 100,000 people were killed and 250,000 homes collapsed or were severely damaged. About half the nation’s schools were affected, leaving young people homeless and without access to safe places to learn.

Over 3,000 students from nine countries came together to raise funds, and with a matching donation from the Bezos Family Foundation, a total of $500,000 was donated. Architecture for Humanity used these funds to rebuild four schools that serve primary and secondary students around the country.

These efforts helped provide classrooms for 1,850 Haitian students. Working closely with school leaders, Architecture for Humanity built schools that celebrate Haiti and improve the learning conditions for future students.

In 2010, Collège Mixte Le Bon Berger was a six-classroom, 12-grade school built just a few years prior. It needed to be entirely replaced after the earthquake. The Haiti team began design by conducting collaborative sessions with designers, school owners and faculty. They worked with Haitian builders and artisans to pinpoint Montrouis' identity and passion for learning. The reconstruction of eight classrooms for a 400-student school devastated by the earthquake brought national praise and 25% increased enrollment.