April 15, 2011
Photo Essay: Haiti’s REACH Students Plan to Build Primary School Classrooms
Haiti Project to Create Jobs, Serve Communities in Southeast Department
Construction students trained in seismic- and hurricane-resistant building techniques with support from ACDI/VOCA’s REACH program are nearing the end of their final project: the construction of two primary school classrooms in Haiti’s Southeast Department.
“The students’ theoretical sessions are essentially completed. Final sessions were conducted by the Southeast Department public work’s regional director on Haiti's construction standards,” says Deputy Chief of Party Mathieu Lucius. “The regional director has been very impressed with the quality of training provided to the REACH students.”
ACDI/VOCA closely coordinated with local education leaders and groups, including the regional director for the department of education in the Southeast Department, to choose the school project.
 ACDI/VOCA’s REACH (Rural Economy Acceleration in Haiti) is a small-grants program funded by donations to our VOCA Foundation Fund in the aftermath of the Jan. 12, 2010, earthquake.
 REACH grants are awarded to local nongovernmental organizations to provide practical job skills and training in the rural Southeast Department, in and around Jacmel. The Southeast Department harbors a large number of earthquake survivors displaced from Port-au-Prince, most of whom face significant challenges earning a sufficient income to provide for themselves and their families.
 ACDI/VOCA partners through REACH with local educational institution APTECH (Ateliers de Technologies), which has experience in seismic-safe building trainings. APTECH developed a six-month training curriculum in construction, which is a critical area for Haiti because of the need for skilled workers to help with the rebuilding efforts.
 The students are trained through practical, hands-on activities in seismic- and hurricane-resistant building techniques.
 REACH sent a volunteer expert in construction techniques to provide additional training to the students.
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