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Nelson Mandela once said that “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” The right to education is widely recognized in International Human Rights Treaties. Successful education is dependent on adequate nutrition and good health.

Unfortunately, many children in Haiti are deprived of these basic rights. IDEH financially supports Ecole L’Erudit of Leogane in its mission to provide a quality education supplemented by nutrition and health support for the full and integral development of economically disadvantaged children.
It is our belief at IDEH that education will empower our young people with hope for a brighter future and lead them to create a positive impact and force for change in their community and country.
Our Projects
TECHNOLOGY​
Students are taught digital literacy skills to ensure proficiency in our technology-dependent world. Students start with basic computing skills in fifth grade, and in seventh grade, they learn about the intelligent use of information technologies and the internet. Coding classes will be added to the ninth-grade curriculum to further develop our students’ technological skills and prepare them for success in our digital world.
NUTRITION
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IDEH helps fund the hot lunch program at Erudit School. It is said in Haiti “sak vid pa kanpe” or “Empty bags can’t stand.” A hungry child struggles to pay attention or participate in class. Thanks to our donors, the school children receive a daily balanced meal. This hot meal is essential not only for their health and well-being, but for their success in school.
AGRICULTURE
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Agriculture is incorporated into the school curriculum. Students begin taking this course at a young age. They are taught by local experts to cultivate soil and produce a variety of crops on site at the school. At Erudit, our agriculture program serves two purposes. On the one hand, the fruits and vegetables produced and harvested by our students are used in our school lunch program. Additionally, the students receive valuable training in agriculture technology, a skillset they can one day use to start their own business or to provide expert advice to the community in need.
TRADE SCHOOL
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​Due to the tuition costs of higher education and the lack of an educational loan system in Haiti, many bright students are denied the opportunity to attend college because of monetary constraints. With this in mind, IDEH has created a scholarship program at Erudit to fund a trade school on premise to provide specialized training to our high school students so that each one will possess the necessary skills to begin a career in their chosen trade after graduation. This vocational school will help train the next generation of creative leaders as electricians, IT technicians, plumbers, agriculture technicians, graphic artists, photographers, tile layers, and tailors.
DINEEN’S FAMILY CLINIC
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The school children come from disadvantaged economic backgrounds.
It is nearly impossible for these children and their families to access a medical clinic or hospital because of the exorbitant costs of healthcare in Haiti. IDEH funds a medical clinic on school grounds named for the late Dr. Marty Dineen, a long-time medical volunteer in Leogane,
and staunch supporter of the school. The clinic is staffed by doctors and nurses from the local community and provides accessible, free care to students and teachers. IDEH is proud to offer our students this opportunity for healthcare access with a focus on wellness leading to not only improved school performance and fewer illness related absences, but also to an overall better quality of life.
