Dear Friends,Last year, I took my first trip to Haiti, my homeland and what I saw was heart breaking. Children were begging on the streets on school days. The family that hosted me could only afford to send two of their four children to school. On my first evening, Edlene, the mother, whispered, "I couldn't continue to send Rosedarline to school because we don't have the money." She also said, "I made the sacrifice to send my 4 year old and the 10 year old and left the two oldest children at home."For that reason, my husband Marlon, and I started a personal charity called Advancement of Haiti Through Education (AHTE). Our purpose was to sponsor Haitian children, by paying their tuition, as there is a lack of public education throughout the country. At the beginning of the academic year 2009-2010, we sponsored 1 child with $250 in U.S. currency towards his tuition, backpack, uniforms, and school supplies. Our goal was to assist in supporting the education of 4 to 5 additional children, in Haiti during the next school year.Amidst the devastating earthquake, on January 12 of this year, with a magnitude 7.2, most of Haiti collapsed. The school which we were working with, also collapsed. There is still the urgency to do more. It is through AHTE, as we are incorporated as a non-profit organization, that we raise funds to rebuild the school. Our next goal is to make schooling free to all local children in that region.To accomplish this, we turn to you, our friends, for help. We are asking for a love donation of $10.00 or more. To facilitate the donation process we have an easy three-step process for donating on our website mnrenterprises.com under the AHTE tab. Your gift to AHTE will support the emergency building of one school affected by the earthquake in Haiti. Assistance provided by AHTE will include infrastructure of the school, school furniture, technology, school supplies, and financial resources for the school's personnel and a researched-based curriculum.We are creating a new website on AHTE.ORG. The expected launch date is August 15. On our new website, you will find our goals and accomplishments. We look forward to doing our part in rebuilding Haiti and hope that you will become a part of the AHTE family. If you feel the joy and desire to assist this cause further, feel free to forward this message to your friends, as well as contact us via our website.Thank you for all your support. Your donation will assist the children and future of Leogane, Haiti.Sincerely,Nadége RichardsFounder and PresidentAdvancement of Haiti Through Education, Inc.
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