(ANS – Fort-Liberté) – On Monday May 7th the Salesian community of Haiti, accompanied by many state and government officials, inaugurated the new technical School of Fort-Liberté. The inauguration of the new structure and the restoration of the damaged areas of the Don Bosco Polytechnic are of great importance for the development of the country and in particular of the North-East Department.

Numerous authorities took part in the ceremony: the  President of the Republic, the Hon. Michel Joseph Martelly, the Minister of Education, the Hon. Réginald Paul, the Secretary of State for Professional Training, Marina Gourgue, several Members of Parliament, members of the Presidential Cabinet, departmental delegates, the mayor of the city, the Departmental Director of Education in the North East, directors and partners of the Ministry.

The Technical School offers courses in Hydraulics, Masonry, Cabinet-making, Tailoring, and Information Office-work. It can cater for about 2000 students in the various traditional and professional training courses. There will be further cause for satisfaction and prestige in collaboration with the ”Caracol Industrial Estate” which will arise in the vicinity. The school will develop training modules of various duration, from 3 months to two years, on the basis of contacts and required skills related to the Industrial Estate, so as to guarantee work for the qualified young people and trained personnel for the local industries.

In the course of the ceremony, Fr. Sonel Romain, the Director of the Centre, affirmed:  “This year the Salesians celebrate seventy-five years of presence in the country and ten years here in Fort-Liberté. Our aim is to form good Christians and honest citizens. For this reason we work in formal and informal education.” Later, Fr. Sonel thanked the many benefactors who had contributed to the building of the school, and also asked for help from the state in meeting the costs of the courses.

The Minister Réginald Paul said: “This is a simple ceremony, but it is very important for its symbolism and the meaning it carries, given that the Government of Haiti is involved, with the determination of the President of the Republic, in the concentration of investments and the creation of Industrial Estates, which of course need a trained labour force.” He added that the building of the Salesian school leads straight into the organization and training of the labour force. 

Published 15/05/2012