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Sister Cities Essex Haiti

Educational and Cultural Collaborations in Deschapelles
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You are here: Home / Library Project

Library Project

View a detailed history and current status of the the Deschapelles Library Project.

On January 8, 2016, SCEH celebrated the opening of the Deschapelles library with the people of Deschapelles, our collaborative partner – ODES, and the library’s Haitian supporters – FOKAL and Digicel.   Many people in the community are now able to take full advantage of this completely new opportunity in Haiti’s Artibonite Valley.

The library is approximately 3,000 square feet with many windows leading to the outside grounds where children can safely play or adults can find a quiet spot to read. There are close to 2,500 books in French, Haitian Kreyol or English.  In addition, computers, DVD’s, educational toys and puzzles for children, and new benches, tables and chairs are all there for use by the community. Most importantly, there is electricity which is a rarity in Deschapelles. Students now have a well-lit building in which to study at night. There are frequent cultural and educational presentations for the community.

ODES, through its Conseil (Library Board), has taken responsibility for the library’s operations including hiring staff, enlisting volunteers, setting policies (including the hours of operation, book lending systems, use of the building by community members and groups), establishing rules and regulations, and setting a budget. The Conseil works closely with the SCEH Library Committee.

Weekly:

  • Children’s reading club
  • Adult reading and discussion groups
  • English and French language conversation groups
  • How to use the computer and internet sessions

Monthly:

Talks on many subjects including  medical subjects led by doctors from Hospital Albert Schweitzer and nature subjects such as astronomy and birds of Haiti.

Robotics:

Club Robotic de Deschapelles celebrating their second place win!

The Library has a robust robotics program.  From its humble beginnings as a lego project, it developed into a full fledge robotics programs thanks to a group of students from Valley Regional High School and their parents who visited Deschapelles in the summer of 2017.  Click here.  Six months later, the newly formed Club Robotic de Deschapelles  won Second Prize in the country-wide robotics competition in Cap Haitien.  Congratulations to all!  For more information about the competition, please click here.

The Library Compound

The 3,000 square foot library is constructed of cement and iron. The cupola on top of the library is important for passive solar ventilation. The roof is insulated against the heat of the sun and the windows are fitted with screens to ward off mosquitoes and the diseases they can carry such as malaria and dengue fever. A wall encompasses the entire two-acre property. more…

How We Did It

The creation of a library in Deschapelles was the first project initiated by Sister Cities Essex Haiti and ODES. It all began in 2010.  more…

The library was designed by Essex architect, Hope Proctor, in the local Haitian style using Haitian building techniques. The building was built by hand without the use of power tools. Local craftsmen in Deschapelles were employed to construct the building.

View a detailed history and current status of the the Deschapelles Library Project.

Deschapelles Library News:

Library Update: November 2022. Library Offers Training to Two Local Libraries

Library Update: September 2020

Robotics in the Library: March 2018

Library Update: January 2018

Library Annual Report: October 2017

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Haiti & Democracy: A Conversation with Best Selling Author, Laurent Dubois

If you missed Laurent Dubois’  lecture, “Haiti & Democracy,”  please click here.  (Lecture starts at minute 11:50)  As part of our 2021-2022 speaker series, Understanding Haiti, with author Laurent Dubois, to discuss the long-term history of the country, focusing on the complex political and cultural dynamics that have shaped the present.

This free presentation is a hybrid event sponsored by Sister Cities Essex Haiti and Southeast Connecticut World Affairs Council.

Read more…

Sister Cities Essex Haiti
P.O. Box 26
Essex CT 06426
info@sistercitesessexhaiti.org

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