Royal Caribbean Proceeds with School Construction in Haiti

Royal Caribbean Proceeds with School Construction in Haiti

Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd., which has long called on a private beach in Haiti, has started construction on a school on the earthquake-ravaged island. Richard Fain, chairman and CEO of RCCL, said the first school is in northern Haiti near several villages and is intended to go from kindergarten to fifth grade the first year, and increase a grade annually, with vocational training in the evenings.

“The site has been leveled and the foundation poured,” he wrote on his blog. “Now they are putting up the walls and installing the utilities. It ain’t very fancy, but it should be one of the best facilities in the area and we hope it sets a good example for the future. It is designed to meet California earthquake codes and Florida hurricane criteria (although it would have been easier if we could have reversed those).

“We fully realized that in the context of Haiti’s enormous needs, this project is barely a ripple on the surface. It is a small project which can only help a limited number of people. At the same time, it will be a big help to those it does reach, and we are all motivated by that. It is a start and we believe a good one. We hope that these kids can develop into the leaders who will guide Haiti’s recovery in the future.”

Fain wrote that the company is working with Foundation ProDev on securing teachers, books and curricula. ProDev has been involved in education since 1996 and most recently organized 14 tent-schools during the crisis. The French-American School is contributing textbooks and teacher training. Miami-Dade public schools are contributing furniture it is replacing. The American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee is supporting the construction of a similar school further south in Haiti.