A school dedicated to the memory of Mikaben: Collège Jean XXIII – Annexe, the 195th school built by the Digicel Foundation

Port-au-Prince, Haiti – Thursday, October 9, 2025 – The Digicel Foundation has inaugurated its 195th school construction project in Cap-Haïtien, specifically in the Calvaire Sainte Thérèse.

Collège Jean XXIII holds a special place in the city’s educational landscape. For more than sixty years, it has provided quality education to the Cité Lescot community and has helped shape generations of citizens. In response to growing enrollment demand and the need to expand access to education, school leaders decided to establish an annex campus in Calvaire Sainte Thérèse.

Funded by the Digicel Foundation, the new facility includes eleven classrooms, administrative offices, a kitchen, and modern sanitation facilities.

Through an investment of approximately USD 600,000, the Digicel Foundation aims to support the Archdiocese of Cap-Haïtien in its educational mission and enable the school to continue serving the youth of northern Haiti.

During the inauguration ceremony, several distinguished speakers emphasized a shared message: education as a driver of change. Among them were His Excellency Archbishop Launay Saturné, Archbishop of Cap-Haïtien; Jean-Philippe Brun, CEO of Digicel Haiti; and Sophia Stransky, Director of the Digicel Foundation.

This new school also pays tribute to the late artist Michael Benjamin, known as Mikaben, who passed away in 2022. A Digicel ambassador and respected philanthropist, he was widely recognized for his humanism and his collaboration with the Digicel Foundation. The Collège Jean XXIII – Annex is dedicated to his memory, allowing students to draw inspiration from his life and values. His family, present at the ceremony, expressed their appreciation for this meaningful recognition and for the continued impact of his legacy on Haitian youth.

For the past 18 years, the Digicel Foundation has remained committed to advancing education in Haiti. These investments are made possible thanks to the support of every Digicel customer, to whom the Foundation extends its sincere gratitude. Strongly committed to giving back to communities, Digicel continues to demonstrate this dedication through its school construction program.

As part of this effort, schools are invited to submit applications for the 200th school construction project until October 31, 2025, by completing the form available at the link below:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfsvhS_b9Jd-HXg-kizrIHmfIDznKnfkV6uK5FuF4FQew/viewform