Empowering Education for All
Inclusive Learning
ECS (Ecole Communautaire de Santo) is the first community school in the Santo area of Port au Prince, Haiti, founded by the Bastien Family. It was established in 1993 with a small number of children, and now over 600 children attend yearly.
The school was founded by Edwin and Violette Bastien for the benefit of their children and ran from their home. Local children from the community were included, and ECS was converted into a legal entity and established a small school building. Like most schools in Haiti, ECS became a legal non-profit entity, where children’s families paid school fees, which constituted the school operating budget, including teachers' pay.
In 2015 the Haitian government started a program to permanently fund schools. With optimism, ECS then expanded to include more students. But the government program soon failed and funding stopped. Haiti then experienced deepening turbulence and economic decline.
ECS school was about to close in 2018 with no external funding, and most families were unable to pay basic fees for school operations. Fortunately, at this critical time, Dr. Tushar Mehta, Dr. Prashant Phalpler, and Brenda Atkins became involved took over funding of the school, and joined the school management team. ECS continues to be managed and operated by members of the Bastien family.
With a strong emphasis on inclusivity and quality, Nouveau D'epart Ecole Communautaire de Santo (ND-ECS) is a beacon of hope for children from disadvantaged backgrounds, offering them the opportunity to receive a comprehensive education that empowers them to thrive and succeed.
Mission
Educate, Empower, Transform
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ECS is now free for all students that attend. A free meal program was started in 2020 for all students
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Dr. Mehta and Dr. Phalpher, and Brenda Atkins (Board Chair of HMC) are involved in larger decisions affecting school management, projects and budget
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In 2022 $80k CAD with help of Dr. Mehta and Dr. Phalpher, and Brenda Atkins fundraising target of 80K CAD reached and we successfully purchased a second building to expand the number of students and teachers.
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Note that this school is a separate entity from HEP Haiti, it’s sister organisation, though it shares a page on the same website)
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Since 2022 he deepening political and economic crisis includes severe and pervasive gang violence and the assassination of the president. Lack of funds and danger from gangs have caused many schools to shut down.
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Since 2018, Gang activity has caused multiple closures of ECS and schools across Haiti. Staff and students have adapted as best as possible, including delivering homework on whatsapp, and sometimes door to door for local students when teachers dare to venture during risky times. Across Haiti, the 2024 school year started in February due to multiple closures over the past three years.
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Prior to 2018 ECS served kids up to grade 10 only. Since 2019 we expanded to include all high school grades, thus up to full grade 12 curriculum
Negative Impact of the Current Instability Crisis
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1. Disrupted Education
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Frequent School Closures from Jan to April 2024: Ongoing unrest has led to repeated closures, interrupting the academic calendar and causing significant learning gaps, in total ECS students lost five school weeks.
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Teacher Absenteeism: Safety concerns have resulted in increased teacher absenteeism, affecting the consistency and quality of education.
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Teachers migrating to other countries: This year we have lost another 3 professors.
2. Psychological Stress
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Increased Anxiety and Trauma: Students are experiencing heightened levels of stress and anxiety due to the volatile environment, impacting their mental health and ability to concentrate.
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Behavioral Issues: The crisis has led to an increase in behavioral issues among students as they struggle to cope with their emotions and uncertainties.
3. Economic Hardship
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Reduced Household Incomes: Many families are facing economic difficulties due to job losses and inflation, limiting their ability to support their children’s education.
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Resource Scarcity: There is a lack of essential educational materials and resources, hindering the learning process.
4. Health and Nutrition
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Malnutrition: With food insecurity on the rise, students are coming to school hungry, which affects their concentration and overall health. Struggle to maintain school food stock as students eat their only hot meal at school so they eat more.
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Access to Clean Water: The instability has disrupted water supplies, leading to challenges in maintaining hygiene and sanitation standards at school because overused by community members and we cannot say no to them
5. Safety Concerns
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Violence and Crime: The increase in violence and crime has made commuting to school dangerous for both students and staff, reducing attendance rates.
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The need to wear uniforms is higher. Students are respected and protected by gang members.
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Need to create student ID cards. Special for students over 18, as it's very difficult at the moment in Haiti.​
Academics
Infrastructure and Development
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1. Library Expansion
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New books and resources have been added to the library, improving access to educational materials. Unfortunately, we have yet to build an infrastructure for the library, as à solution we can use.
2. Energy & Water
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Installation of a new water filtration system, providing clean drinking water for all students and staff.
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Need of additional batteries. Four current batteries are now old and provide less than an hour of energy à day.
1. Technology Project and Team Competition
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Successful training on creativity for 40 students of mixed gender from all grades: A team from each class designing and constructing desk lamps using recycled materials from trash and presenting their projects, Giordany Bastien.
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A team from the lamp creation participated in a student tech fail by government
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Phone repair for 20 students mixed gender by Marc Edwine Bastien.
2. Mathematics Competition
Maths competition organise by teachers where each class are divided by team of two, the goal is to improve problem solving skills, teamwork, boosts confidence and identify talented students
3. Literacy Week every last weeks of the school months
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Activities included book readings, and storytelling sessions by class. Teacher pick different subject weekly to stimulate students sense of community, empathy & understanding, encourage conflict resolution, inspire acts of kidness.
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Younger students participated in storytelling and play therapy sessions.
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These activities helped them express their feelings in a safe and supportive environment.
4. Street business school
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Plans to run a street business school program
Activities
Enriching Experiences
Engaging students in enriching activities is an essential part of the ND-ECS experience. Our diverse range of extracurricular activities and programs are designed to enhance creativity, critical thinking, and social skills.
Sports
Active Lifestyle
Our sports programs encourage a healthy and active lifestyle, teaching students the importance of teamwork, sportsmanship, and physical fitness.
1. Sports
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The soccer team was selected, and weekly training begins to prepare for the Summer Cup, a yearly activity organized by different schools in Santo to foster teamwork and community peacebuilding.
Arts
Creative Expression
Through artistic expression, students explore their creativity and develop their talents in visual arts, music, and performing arts.
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1. Arts and Music
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The school performed traditional Haitian songs and steps at the local community for Flag Day.
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Art club members are working on a mural project to beautify the school courtyard.
Community Service
Giving Back
Engaging in community service activities instills a sense of social responsibility and empathy in our students, fostering a spirit of giving back to the community.
1. Volunteer Program
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Students participated in a local street clean-up, promoting environmental awareness and stewardship.
2. Charity Drive
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Successful collection of clothes, food, and essentials for families IDP affected by recent gang fights.
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Cash was provided to 16 students' families to facilitate their return to Santo after fleeing their homes due to gang fights.
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Mother's Day celebration, meal was provided to over 500 attendees, and dry food kit was given to 20 selected student families.
Staff
Dedicated Professionals
Our staff at NOUVEAU DÉPART ÉCOLE COMMUNAUTAIRE DE SANTO (ND-ECS)ND are dedicated professionals passionate about education and the well-being of our students. They bring expertise, commitment, and compassion to their roles, creating a nurturing and supportive learning environment for all.
Principal
Violette P Bastien & Edwin Bastien, founders.
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Mme. Stephanie Antoine, Proffesor, Entrepreneur/ Gender equality advocate / Social worker.
Mr. MarcEdwin Bastien, Proffesor, Entrepreneur/ Gender equality advocate / Social worker.
Advisors / Board Members
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Dr. Tushar Mehta
Practice Emergency Medicine, Family Medicine / Addictions medicine. Volunteers with NGO projects in rural India and Haiti. Expert and Lecturer on plant-based/vegan nutrition.
Dr. Prashant Phalpher
Practice Emergency Medicine, Healthcare leader
Dr. Samuel Bastien
Dietetic nutrition Consultant on social protection / Community mobilizer / Preventative health promotor.
Brenda Atkins
A passionate and self-motivated professional who specializes in growth with a focus on philanthropy, efficiency, change & development.