Haiti: Prince Albert II of Monaco School celebrates tenth anniversary

S.A.S le Prince Souverain avec des élèves de l’EPAM lors de son inauguration en 2013 © Sylvain Péroumal

Built in 2012 in a shanty town in the Haitian capital Port-au-Prince following the earthquake which hit the country on 12 January 2010, the Prince Albert II of Monaco School (EPAM) was officially opened ten years ago, on 15 February 2013, by H.S.H. the Sovereign Prince.

In the wake of the devastating January 2010 earthquake, the Monaco Haiti Collective, made up of the Prince’s Government, the Monaco Red Cross and some 20 NGOs, was established to mobilise funds and support a local initiative to help with rebuilding. The collective provided support to Centres Gheskio, a Haitian NGO recognised for its work in the medical field, in Cité de Dieu, a shanty town in Port-au-Prince.

EPAM opened its doors in September 2012 and was accredited by the Republic of Haiti Ministry of National Education and Vocational Training for basic and preschool education.

The earthquake-resistant construction enables more than 350 children from disadvantaged families to attend school each year, in a context where access to the Haitian education system remains extremely difficult for low-income families and vulnerable children.

Although the Monaco Haiti Collective was disbanded in 2016, the Principality has continued to support the school since it was opened via an ongoing partnership with the Monaco International Cooperation Department and Centres Gheskio. The goal is to increase the rate and quality of school attendance for children who have been left behind, thereby improving their chances – and those of their families – of fully integrating into society.

In the 2022–2023 academic year, 354 children from disadvantaged families in working-class areas (Cité de Dieu, Cité de l’Eternel and Cité Plus) are attending the school. Fifty percent of pupils are girls. EPAM offers all pupils medical check-ups and a daily meal (supplied as part of the World Food Programme school meals initiative), as well as educational materials and extracurricular activities. The level of education delivered is excellent, with a pass rate of 90% in the end-of-year tests.

In this anniversary year, a fundraising effort on behalf of the children at EPAM is set to be launched by a 3^ème (Year 10) class at Collège Charles III, giving them the chance to participate in this show of solidarity and to learn about the right to education, particularly in Haiti.

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For more information on the project supported by Monaco’s International Cooperation Department, see: https://cooperation-monaco.gouv.mc/Priorites/Cartographie-des-projets-en-cours/Reste-du-monde/Haiti/CENTRES-GHESKIO-Appui-au-fonctionnement-de-l-Ecole-Prince-Albert-II-de-Monaco