The Le Flambeau Foundation assists Haiti via Intellectual Infrastructure Development – the provision of a solid education foundation for the brightest youth andfuture leaders of Haiti. Intellectual Infrastructure Development is very important when you consider that among students completing high school, less than 1% make it to college. Through the efforts of the Le Flambeau Foundation , students living in Haiti are awarded U.S. college scholarships focused on building expertise in Haiti’s core growth engines – AGRICULTURE, ENGINEERING or INTERNATIONAL COMMERCE. They also receive courses in preparatory English and technology. Le Flambeau Foundation scholars, upon graduation, devote a minimum of two years working on initiatives, which contribute to the economic rebuilding of Haiti.
Haiti, a poor country in the Western Hemisphere, is rich with exceptionally bright young people who serve as a beacon of hope for the future. The January 12th earthquake in Haiti, the worst catastrophe in recent history, intensified an already exceptionally challenging situation. Specifically, prior to the earthquake, Haiti’s average wage rate was US$2 per day, the average per household annual income was US$250, unemployment was +70% with an extreme shortage of skilled labor.
The Le Flambeau Foundation serves as a portal providing youth of Haiti with educational opportunities that will prepare them to rebuild and lead the country’s transition from poverty to prosperity, with dignity. Education is unanimously considered to be the most effective means to overriding economic, political, and historical barriers – for the long-term. The Le Flambeau Foundation is the spark of a movement that will take us to a brighter sustainable future. The Torch is Lit. We carry it forward and Pass it On!
The Le Flambeau Foundation is a Wisconsin 501(c)3 non-profit corporation, now in its tenth year of operation.