PRODEV Haiti

Established in 1996 by Max Penette and Daniel Kedar, under the direction of Maryse Penette Kedar, the “Foundation for Progress and Development” focuses on the development of Haiti through positive initiatives, especially in the realm of education. PRODEV implements its projects with the conviction that all children deserve access to high quality education, regardless of their means, and that better education advances a community’s quality of life. PRODEV’s schools are free and provide students with a cereal bar and a hot lunch so as not to discriminate based on income. PRODEV also tailors its programs to students’ particular needs; for example, it offers transitional classes for older students who have been out of school to complete their elementary education and catch up to their grade level. Following the earthquake of January 2010, PRODEV opened several tent schools and kindergartens in IDP camps in the Port-au-Prince area, allowing 3,000 kids to return to school. Now PRODEV operates three permanent state-of-the-art schools: Ecole Nouvelle Zoranje in the Village de La Renaissance, L’Ecole Apostolique des Apotres in Cite Soleil and the Ecole Nouvelle Royal Caribbean. These schools serve as models for what education in Haiti should be, and the ultimate goal is to have a network of schools like these around the country.