A CONGREGATION has handed over a cheque for £100,000 to a Haitian minister to help rebuild a school in his devastated home country.
Rev Marcus Torchon said he was thrilled by the efforts of Wirral Methodists who have worked to raise the cash since the disaster a little over a year ago in Haiti.
The island was hit by an earthquake measuring 7.0 on the Richter scale on January 12, 2010, leaving millions of people homeless and entire villages destroyed.
Rev Torchon, whose family live in the epic centre of the quake, Port-au-Prince, said the money will help to rebuild Leveque Methodist School in the north west of the capital.
Pamela Simms, Wirral Circuit Steward said: “Our Wirral Circuit has a particular connection with Haiti, it is the family home of one of our Ministers, Rev Marcus Torchon. The total cost of rebuilding the school of eight classrooms is £180,000.
The Wirral Methodist Circuit has committed itself to raising this money and this first payment will cover the costs of the first phase of construction which includes ground preparation, foundations and concrete flooring across the whole site.”
Rev Torchon, who serves Neston, Bromborough and Willaston recently held a service of recollection and dedication at Wallasey Methodist Church to celebrate the work achieved so far with contributions from Rev Dr Leslie Griffiths who also served in Haiti.
Following the earthquake, International Aid Organisations swiftly assembled in Haiti but, more than six months on, families remain homeless and disease is rife.
The north west region of Port-au-Prince, where the Leveque school is situated, is still to receive assistance.
Mrs Simms said: “The previous school, at Leveque housed six teaching staff and 130 pupils of whom 40 have not been accounted for. The building has been demolished and the site cleared of debris. Since Easter, classroom activities have resumed, with seven classrooms meeting in the church chapel and two classrooms under an almond tree.
She added: “Even before the earthquake the provision of daily nutritional food for pupils whose parents are unable to adequately nourish them at home had become a priority (the cost per child per day is 50p). The school feeding programme has not yet resumed.
The rebuilding of eight classrooms, offices, staffrooms, sanitation, water tank, kitchen, dining hall and a dormitory for teaching staff will cost £178,000. The first phase costs, for set-up, ground preparation, foundations and concrete flooring across the whole site is £60,000.
Mrs Simms added: “We are already in sight of this first goal, but we do not wish to create false dawns – so we are actively involved in fundraising.”
The congregations in the Wirral Circuit have raised cash through church activities and generous donations from schools and business
The Liverpool District has also recently collected funds and pledged money from its benevolent fund.
Further details about how to contribute, can be found on their website www.wirral methodist.btck.co.uk