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Haiti Education Fund seeks link with developing world

By Br. Cosmas Rubencamp, CFX
Special to the Catholic Virginian

On February 22 Bishop Emeritus Walter F. Sullivan and the Board of Directors of the Haitian Education Fund [HEF] hosted its 2008 Benefit Dinner at the Salisbury County Club in Chesterfield County to raise funds for the work of the HEF in Haiti.

The goal of the dinner was to raise at least $20,000, and it looks as if the Fund will easily exceed that goal.

Guest speaker Dr. Eugene P. Trani, President of Virginia Commonwealth University, spoke of the importance of our connecting with the developing world. He drew a parallel between what VCU was accomplishing with its 10 non-European partnering campuses overseas and the Diocese of Richmond’s twinning relationships with 30 or more parishes and institutions in Haiti.

The 21st century, he said, is becoming the century of the developing world, and education and health care are the predominant issues in these countries.

He stressed the importance of our global perspective on education.

“Clearly the survival and prosperity of countries like Haiti depend upon the continued development of its education system,” Dr. Trani said.

He commended the Fund particularly for its work in building schools and training teachers.

Dr. Trani spoke about VCU’s upcoming event connected with the Walter Sullivan Chair of Catholic Studies on April 8. There will be an inaugural lecture by Father Edward A. Malloy, CSC, President Emeritus of the University of Notre Dame.

The first visiting professor will be Dr. Andrew Chestnut of the University of Houston, a scholar of Latin American Catholic studies.

Kathy Gross, a member of the HEF Board of Directors, did a presentation on the accomplishments of the Fund during the past year and its goal of sharing with our twinning parishes data being provided by the Hinche Bureau Diocesain d’Education (parallel with our Office of Catholic Schools) about their schools.

Further information on the mission of the Haitian Education Fund can be found on its website www.haitianeducationfund.com.

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