Project's title

Gunter's fables in Haitian creole, Haitian classroom and Haitian reality

Project's presentation
This project is made of 4 parts that pertain to the translation of Gunter's Fables in Haitian Creole and
French.

Part 1
The fables that we wish to choose, are the ones that are the most related to the problems faced by the
majority of Haitian children. It will be 12 fables that covers the topics of water, reforestation, food,
sustainability, the sea, abundance, etc.

Part 2
Since access to ebook is very limited in Haiti, we think it would be a great idea to introduce Gunter's
fables on stone paper or banana paper( see Banana project with Japan). The stone paper could be
produce in Haiti where there are several mining field that have been abandoned or that are currently in
exploitation.

Part 3
The fables will be first taught in the schools of Camp-Perrin and other towns in the south of Haiti such
as Les Cayes, Port-Salut, Côteaux etc. amidst the front runners of the school system. We are
considering this area because of its stability which would allow us to work in a context of durability.
The plan is to organize workshops where we show the teachers how to incorporate the fables in their
teachings and help them use them to explain the scientific subjects. Those workshops are there to serve
as an eye opener, in order for the teachers to grasp the extinct of the problem faced by the school
system and to see some solutions that can be drawn from the fables. For instance, the school cafeteria is
a real problem in Haiti and a lot of parents struggle to feed their kids( Harvesting mushrooms on coffee
waste sounds like a great alternatives for those parents, not counting the possibility to sale a part of the
mushrooms in the market in order to have access to other goods)

Part 4
The students are now ready to apply what they have read in the fables, in their environment and are
now able to find concrete solution to the problems that have aroused in those readings.

Context
This project lies in a broader frame

Haiti is presented in the international discourse as one of the poorest countries in the world. We have no
intent to repeat the stats here, our goal is to paint a portrait based on empirical facts which will expose
the important social and cultural aspects and give rise to innovation which this country so desperately
dreaming of.

Economical Context
In 2015, Haiti was rank 24th among the 25 nations which produce the least amount of wealth. However,
we haven't fail to notice the sensible increase of foreign investors in the country and the prosperity of
their businesses. For instance, the phone compagny DIGICEL, created in 2001 by the Irish
entrepreneur, Denis O'Brien, is know as the most important private investor in Haiti ( Surtabs); there is
also the implementation of the Marriot hotel chain.
Natural Disasters
Most of the international texts portrays Haiti as the most vulnerable place when it comes to natural
disasters. However, those texts do not take into account the absence of preventive measures and the
violation of security norms( in the construction field for instance). Indeed, during the 2010 earthquake,
the buildings that followed the construction guidelines in terms of site choice, and general engineering
norms were not damaged. Buildings such as, the central bank's( built by workers from Panama), the
DIGICEL's( built by Panamean and Domincan workers) stood their ground after the earthquake. This
shows that the problem does not lie in Haiti's predisposition to natural disasters but rather from the lack
of qualified workers on the ground. One interesting observation is that the Dominican Republic located
on the same island is not the subject of the same kinds of pronostic, even though there are few
geological differences between the two countries.

Environnemental Habits
Deforestation affects more than 98% of Haitian soil and this creates a lot of soil erosion. No effective
measure has been adopted to undermine the consumption of charcoal, which is the main source of fuel
in the common kitchen, even among the middle class population who have access to a propane oven.
The middle class families are reluctant to allow their house keeping employees to use their propane
oven.
They often have a preconceived idea that the housekeepers are unable to use it properly. Furthermore,
the alternatives fuel is to expensive for the average pockets.

Regarding Waste Management

In Haiti, the waste management system consists of the absence of treatment, a chaotic waste collection
and a very weak legal frame. Some alternatives have been initiated by NGOs to encourage recycling
since 2010. However, they do not impact the rapid daily increase in the consumption of packaged
goods. The main conclusion that can be drawn is that, the lower the quality of life , the higher the
consumption of packaged goods. Poverty makes planning impossible, even in the most simple daily
acts such as the meals, snacks and more. So much that, a majority of the population ( the 40 or 50%
poorest) rely on premade drinks( the highly artificial, multicolored ones, that are packed with sugar)
and the fastfood ( biscut, that comes in plastic packaging). The outburst of Cholera reinforced the trend
as the risks of being contaminated decreases when consuming packed products. Moreover, the high fuel
cost, makes it more expensive for a family to prepare a meal. That leaves the needy with very few
options other than the low cost fryfood/fastfood restaurants that are found along the roads. Those meal
are served in foam wrapping that are non recyclable, just like the fresh juice that are sold in the streets
in plastic or in foam cups.
The consumption of fresh products from the local agriculture is even more expensive. For example, the
Haitian rice has become a luxury product for the average pocket. who now rely on the foreign rice from
the United States or on pasta( also wrapped in plastic) which is significantly less expansive.

Mining resources and banana production

Two important mining project can be drawn from the history of mining exploitation in Haiti : that of
the American Society REYNOLDS METALS INC. who bauxite ( aluminum-ore) from Plateau de
Rochelois à Miragoâne between 1957 and 1982, and that of the Canadian society SEDREN S.A who
exploited the copper-ore of Mémé( Terre-Neuve, 30 km North west of Gonaïves) between 1960 and
1971.
Since 2006, a Canadian compagny, EMX, is exploiting the gold mines of the haitian underground in the
north of the country. Moreover, according to a report from 2015, Haiti's underground ressources are
worth up to 20 billion dollars.
Education
Access.
The haitian government covers only 20 % of the school cost. The remainning 80% is managed by the
private sector( individual and religious communities)

Infrastructure.
The government has made a lot of effort regarding the construction of infrastructures during the past
decade. However, based on our empirical observation, even in the brand new buildings, the sanitary
conditions needs to be reviewed ( conventional latrines instead of ecological bathroom). Drinkable
water being a rare good in Haïti, so are the schools capable of assuring a healthy environment for their
student on every level. The majority of the schools are in a state of deterioration, with no basics
infrastructure( drinkable water, electricity, etc.)

Quality.
In 2005, a statistical census from the Ministry of National Education stated that 75% of Haitian
teachers have no initial training! The quality of the education is greatly impacted. Moreover, another
stumbling block lies in the obsolescence approach and content that can be found in the current school
manuals. This description of mammals ,found in one of the manual used by the student, attest to the
above statement : '' Mammals have 3 parts : a head, a torso and limbs''! The school has no foot in the
reality of the student and therefore is unable to propose any solution to the problem encountered in
their daily lives.

This project lies in a narrower frame

This consist of targeting a small number of schools where the fables could be introduced and where we
can establish a long term relationship with the teaching staff that will be selected based on a certain
level of training necessary to implement this pedagogical practice along with what it takes to solve the
problems rendering the student daily lives. Based on the observation on the ground, the
implementation of the Gunter's fables will be a good exercises for the developmental of a culture of
writing and of the practice of a read and write culture based on the two official languages( Creole and
French). Surely, the french/creole paradigm has given rise to an important problematic in Haiti that
requires a production of bilingual youth books, that can be used in the classroom instead of the
conventional school manuals.
The Gunter's fables is the perfect means of introduction for the academic subjects that are thaught in
school. The goal is to promote the appropriation of scientific studies while helping the students develop
the necessary skills needed to solve the problems of their daily lives.

OBJECTIVES

Part 1
Objective: Translate a series of 12 Gunter's fables.

Part 2
Objective: Make the fables accessible by Haitian students numerically and on paper form

Part 3
Objective 1: Choosing teachers capable of stimulating the learning capabilities of their student by
tackling their desirer to learn and to be actors of change in the community.

Objective 2: Make sure to connect the stories in the fables to the practical solution available in the local
ressources for the basic needs of the community( teachers, student and their family)

Part 4
Objective 1: Create a local coop model based on the blue economy model to meet the basic needs above
mentioned.

CHALLENGES

The translation of the fables will be the easiest step as the qualified individual (Alberte Magally
Constant) as already accepted to fulfill the task. In order to achieve the objectives from part 2,3 and 4,
we will collect a certain amount of crucial information by working with a network of around 10 schools
for instance, committed to the project in the long run.
Is it practical to think that stone paper could be made in Haiti? The report published in june 2015 on
Haiti’s mining ressources by the CPH (Concertation pour Haiti), along with the papers published by the
Mining offices of Haiti, will guides us through our decision making process.
We will also need to understand the necessary steps to take for the accomplishment of such a project, in
a short, middle and long term process.
At first, it could be a great start to use banana paper, as this resource is readily abundant in the country.
Professor Hiroshi Morishima, who initiated the banana project would be a great person to contact for
that purpose. This biggest hurdle lies in the durability of the project. We must study the effective way to
maintain the project in the schools in spite of changes that may occur. That is why we think the parents
have a crucial role to play here.

INNOVATION

In in of itself, the project is very innovative. Very little link is made between the children daily
difficulties and