The Siloe Project dba Pazapa Reviews
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My wife Nancy and I first went to PAZAPA in Jacmel, Haiti, in 1997 when our son Jonathan E. Scholes worked there as a Peace Corps Volunteer for two years. The PAZAPA founders wisely recognized that the health and development of a child with disabilities is closely related to the family's economic status. Therefore Jonathan helped set up a mango-drying business for the mothers of children with disabilities. To this day PAZAPA continues to work with the families of its students by providing them small business loans which have had nearly a 100 % repayment success rate.
The Great!
I've personally experienced the results of this organization in...
I have witnessed, up-close and personal, the resurrection of PAZAPA following the Jan. 2010 Haitian earthquake.
Ways to make it better...
If I had to make changes to this organization, I would...
I would find resources for more special-education teacher training in the Haitian setting and for more rural community outreach to the disabled and their families.
A donation to Pazapa provides a lot of "bang for your buck" because all of the people in the U.S. are volunteers. Your gift would go almost entirely to help Haitian children with disabilities and their families.
The Great!
I've personally experienced the results of this organization in...
Pazapa is the only place children with disabilities in Haiti's southeast department can get help. It's hard to imagine what their lives would be like without it.
Ways to make it better...
If I had to make changes to this organization, I would...
Recruit more financial supporters and volunteers to work in Haiti.
More feedback...
Will you volunteer or donate to this organization beyond what is required of board members?
Definitely
How much of an impact do you think this organization has?
Life-changing
Will you tell others about this organization?
Definitely
How did you learn about this organization?
Through my church.
What is this organization's top short-term priority?
Build a new Pazapa building to replace the one destroyed in the earthquake.
What is its top priority in the long run?
Develop a solid donor and volunteer base.
When was your last experience with this nonprofit?
2010
Pazapa has been around since the mid-1980's. Through hurricanes, flooding, political upheavals and the 2010 earthquake, Pazapa has stayed true to its mission of helping Haiti's neediest.
The Great!
I've personally experienced the results of this organization in...
I have been to Haiti three times in the past ten years to witness the work being done by Pazapa on behalf of handicapped children. It is amazing to see what a huge difference Pazapa's programs make in the lives of these kids and of their families.
Ways to make it better...
If I had to make changes to this organization, I would...
Increase awareness of Pazapa among individual donors and grantmaking organizations to ensure more stable sources of funding in the future.
I may be biased, but I believe Pazapa is playing a very important role in Haiti as the only combined school/vocational training/health program for the disabled in the country. It is a model that deserves to be expanded and replicated further. I've known Pazapa since I was a Peace Corps Volunteer in Haiti from 2000-2002. There would be a major gap in assistance without Pazapa, especially now in post earthquake Haiti. It is an organization well worth supporting.
The Great!
I've personally experienced the results of this organization in...
seeing the extent to which they have been able to support disabled children and their families and knowing what more they could with increased human and financial resources.
Ways to make it better...
If I had to make changes to this organization, I would...
secure, equip, and fortify a large building that could accomodate a growing number of students while providng them with a safe place to learn and play.
In Haitian Creole, PAZAPA means “step by step,” and that is how our school in Jacmel continues to move forward. The Pazapa School provides educational and nutrition programs as well as essential medical and surgical treatments for the students. Special education as we know it in American schools does not exist in Haiti. There is no public source of help for children with disabilities, so it is no exaggeration to say that Pazapa is a lifeline for our students and their families. Last year Haiti was ravaged by hurricanes. Many families were already living in mud when the third storm hit the island. Then came the earthquake. The depth of poverty there is beyond what most of us can even imagine. Yet in this challenging environment, the strong spirit of the Haitian people does not waiver, and the families of Pazapa continue to value education for their children. Our school was destroyed, but we are rebuilding, and in the aftermath of the earthquake, we provided life saving assistance to the Pazapa families. Along with food, clean water, and housing assistance we assured them that their children would survive and continue to receive an education to allow them to fulfill their potential and live meaningful lives. Pazapa runs efficiently on a small budget, and the Board operates in a fiscally responsible manner to ensure that we can continue to help the children and families of Haiti move forward “step by step.”
The Great!
I've personally experienced the results of this organization in...
. . . communications with the Haitian director. She shares pictures and stories of the students and their achievements.
More feedback...
What I've enjoyed the most about my experience with this nonprofit is...
the sense that I am assisting students with disabilities who live in extremely difficult circumstances.
The kinds of staff and volunteers that I met were...
dedicated professionals.
If this organization had 10 million bucks, it could...
provide a way for the families of our students to move out of abject poverty.
How frequently have you been involved with the organization?
About every week
When was your last experience with this nonprofit?
2010
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