Los Altos High School named the SOPUDEP school in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, as its official Sister School this year.
SOPUDEP – which is short for Society of Providence United for the Economic Development of Pétion-Ville – is a Haitian-founded and -run grassroots social organization. It provides free, accessible education to adults and children and supports economic empowerment for the poor. The school’s mission is to use the power of education to improve life for the poorest members of the community and instill pride and hope for a better future.
Its K-12 school is SOPUDEP’s most ambitious project. The comprehensive private school serves children who cannot afford to attend Haiti’s public schools or other private schools. The school now enrolls more than 560 students. Many of the students receive their only daily meal through the school’s hot-food program.
Los Altos High students traveled to Haiti with social-studies teacher Seth Donnelly to help build the new SOPUDEP school. With SOPUDEP now their official Sister School, students plan to increase connections between the schools and their respective countries through ongoing cultural exchanges.
Aldo Los Altos has scheduled a fundraiser for the Los Altos High School Sister School 1:30-4 p.m. Jan. 29 at 388 Main St.
For more information, contact Debra Strichartz at ds*********@***il.com.
