SOPUDEP School Staff

The Teachers

It's more than a little difficult to convey to people the dedication and talent of the SOPUDEP staff. $500 US paying for a university-educated
teachers annual salary? Some years going without pay at all for several months at a time? It's so hard for people in the US or Canada to wrap their heads around the idea that anyone who makes that low a wage could be so dedicated, let alone an educated, articulate, passionate professional. They have an incredible talent to do so much with so little. They bring students reading and writing, math, science, social studies, and a sense of hope and value.

Rea Dol and Her Administration

Not only is Rea Dol Founder and Director of SOPUDEP school, but she also is a community organizer and a grassroots leader. She has headed up an adult literacy program, a women's economic empowerment organization, HIV/AIDS treatment and prevention program, and many more. To watch her work is nothing short of unbelievable.

Rea is determined to improve the lives of the poorest people in her community though education. She has faced down Dictators, Militia groups, and gangs who want to stop her from giving these people a fighting chance in Haiti's harsh economy and narrowing the gap between them and the elites who can afford good education. Most of all she wants her people to have a sense of pride and hope. A stronger woman is hard to imagine!

Without her Administrators though half the work could not be done. They are the support system that keep SOPUDEP running smoothly. Besides being there seven days a week fulfilling their duties, they also fill in for sick teachers, cook the food for the 500 plus people, and many other jobs that are not asked of them with little compensation. They stand behind Rea and her vision for an empowered Haiti.

An important note is that, because international giving supports the staff wages, a child can attend SOPUDEP for free. This differs greatly from the majority of schools in Haiti that charge a fee per student to attend.