Education Is The Key To Change

The Digicel Foundation was still being established in Haiti when an eager group of Digicel employees headed to Ecole Mixte Lageho, a primary school in the rural community of Thomazeau. The school was a dilapidated, windowless, tin structure with dirt flooring, no partitions between the classrooms, and no furniture for the students. On that day, it became clear to those Digicel employees, that improving the learning environment for the estimated 200 children who attended that school, would become Digicel Foundation’s first project in Haiti. 

On March 7th, 2007, less than six months after the initial visit to Ecole Mixte Lageho, the Digicel Foundation was officially launched in a joyous ceremony that marked the completion of the rebuilding of Ecole Mixte Lageho in record time. The primary school, with six new fully furnished classrooms, and a proper administration had become a bright and energizing learning center. The day was drawing to a close when Denis O’Brien, Digicel Foundation Founder, who travelled to Haiti for the special occasion, announced that he had a new challenge for the team – the new goal was to rebuild a total of 20 schools by March 2008. Thus, the school construction program was ushered in, and grew to transform the learning environments of tens of thousands of children across Haiti’s 10 departments.

After the 2010 earthquake, a further commitment was made to build 130 more schools. The 150th inauguration was held on November 19, 2014. Since then, the Digicel Foundation has continued with its program and to date has built more than 190 schools that provide a conducive learning environment for more than 60,000 children.

Any school wishing to benefit from our 200th school construction project is invited to click on this link to access the form.