What we do!
Haiti Reads believes that each child in Haiti should have access to books. Unfortunately, only children whose families can afford the approximate $150.00 annual tuition have access to books, and even those children use outdated textbooks, if any at all.Haiti Reads believes that it can change the literacy rate in the communities it serves by teaching free basic literacy classes to children and their parents. It is our belief that those who have the chance to take advantage of these free classes will be able to teach what they have learned to others in their community.

What we believe!
Education is a ladder out of poverty. It is probably one of the best anti poverty, anti-deprivation, anti-crime, anti-vandalism policies you can think of.
U.K. Prime Minister Gordon Brown, on the launch of the National Year of Reading

Our Mission
Our mission is to provide educational training and resources to people in Haiti, with a special focus on individuals who are unable to afford the cost of formal education. Haiti Reads strives to make books available to all children and adults regardless of current enrollment in an educational institution.

Our Vision
Our vision is to establish centers throughout Haiti to house educational resources and provide training to people in the communities, thus providing a path from illiteracy and poverty.

Our Impact
"When I was a child, my family was too poor to send me to school. We had one book which I looked at every day. I was determined to learn
what those words on the
pages meant. With much resolve, I learned how to read by asking the few people in my family who knew how to read to teach me. It was a struggle, but I was determined. Today, I speak and can read in four different languages. Books made this possible for me."
Donald Dorcilus,
Haitian Musician   
Click here for video

                What's New?
04/27/2012
We had a wonderful and successful event at the Evanston Ecological Center. Thank you for your support! 

04/17/2012
Can you believe that we had to move the library AGAIN! The new location just did not work out and we were forced to take a loss on our expenses that covered fixing up the new space and moving everything. It was frustrating but now that we have completed all the necessities for the new location, I have to say that it is going to be a much better place! It will be better because it will now be housed in an existing school. Now, even when most of us are not in Haiti, we always have a full-time staff at the library keeping the doors open. In the past, whenever Eric was not available, the library stayed closed. 

Here are a few pictures of the new location:

Hoping something can be done about the wall that divides these two rooms. They are supporting walls but glass block or steel bars could "open-up" and connect  the two rooms. 




02/2012
The Eric and Kathy Morning Show
Kathy Hart from the popular Chicago Morning Show “Eric and Kathy at Q101.9 The Mix” donated her Martin & Co. acoustic guitar to Haiti Reads. This guitar will help us, or rather Gerald, teach guitar lessons to children who visit the Haiti Reads Library. Thank you, Kathy!
 
Gerald from "Kicks for Haiti" showing one young student the way to hold the guitar.

Kathy Hart, with Jeanette Alfred, founder of Haiti Reads, donating her guitar to Haiti Reads.