The Digicel Haiti Foundation marked its one-year anniversary with the achievement of delivering on a promise to build 20 primary schools in its first year of operation, two in each district of Haiti.

The primary schools, which are completely furnished and staffed with trained teachers, will provide more than 7,000 Haitian children with an education to help them prepare for a better life.

Furthermore, the Foundation is ensuring that the schools will be sustained over the next three years through a network of strategic community partnerships, which include partnerships with the Ministry of National Education and individual NGOs.

Denis O'Brien, patron of the Digicel Haiti Foundation and chairman of Bermuda-based Digicel Group, visited the poverty-stricken neighborhood of Cite Soleil to officially open the Ecole St. Patrick primary school. The Foundation will continue to dedicate itself to the development of Education in Haiti.

"The building of the 20 primary schools we hope will have a tremendous role in uplifting community spirit and inspiring new hope for children who are ultimately the future of Haiti. The Digicel Haiti Foundation is determined to make a difference and play a positive role in people's lives and this is our way of saying 'thank you' for the incredible warm welcome and support we have received from the people of Haiti," said Mr. O'Brien. The Digicel Haiti Foundation has worked with the Ministry for National Education and a number of NGOs to implement a food programme, which provides each child with hot daily meals and a teacher training programme to ensure each child has access to a quality education.

Partner NGOs include Food for the Poor, Catholic Relief Services, World Vision, USAID, the World Food Programme, the Catholic Mission, Crose, Concern and the French NGO Initiative Developement.

"Partnerships are a key contributor to the success and sustainability of the Digicel Haiti Foundation. As we continue to grow in Haiti so will our ties to our communities, which will foster even stronger and more effective partnerships," said Mr. O'Brien.

Mr. O'Brien also commended CEO of the Digicel Haiti Foundation Josefa Gauthier for her strong leadership, passion and commitment to ensuring the goal of building 20 primary schools was met within the Foundation's first year.

According to Josefa Gauthier: "When we were first given the task of building 20 primary schools in one year we knew that there would be major challenges to overcome as we were working in the most disadvantaged and isolated areas of the country. However, the warm welcome of the communities, the joy of the children and the light of hope in their eyes helped us overcome any obstacles. We have achieved a lot in one year but there is even more to achieve as we help to build a better Haiti."