Meanwhile, Bildad Michel, a young Haitian, studying at Cumberland University where he had a TJS Board Member, Josh Hayden, as a professor.  This is where Bildad learned about the plans to start a school in Haiti. Bildad knew firsthand the lack of school opportunities there and the difficulty of just being a child there. Most children find themselves working for their families, doing daily chores, and raising siblings. Public schools are expensive to attend with the additional cost of uniforms, books, and food. As a child, Bildad had dreamed of building a school where children would be free to be children, learning, and building community. After hearing about the plans for The Joseph School, he convinced the Board that a better model would be to serve younger children. At Bildad’s urging, the Board decided to start with 1st grade rather than 7th grade as previously planned.

 

In early June, 2015 the Board commissioned Bildad to spend the summer in Haiti developing the resources and capabilities for opening a school near Bildad’s hometown of Minotre. By that August, there was a pathway to completion of the school, which opened in September with 2 classrooms, 30 students and 2 teachers.  

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Today with some alterations, the model continues.