How are the funds sent to the Haitian Salesian Sisters directed?   We trust the Salesian Sisters to know the current needs at the School of the Infant Jesus and to set their own priorities. Most of the money is designated as “for current needs”. When a donor has a specific purpose in mind, such as “food for the students”, we indicate that purpose when we send those funds.
How is schooling different in Haiti compared to the USA?    90% of the schools in Haiti are private with the Catholic Church providing the majority of schools. Most students stop at the 5^th grade because their parents can’t afford to continue their education. A 5^th grade education enables someone to be employed in routine task jobs.
How many students attend the School of the Infant Jesus?    The Salesian Sisters teach K-13^th grade at the School of the Infant Jesus. In Fall 2023, they will add 13^th grade to complete the high school curriculum as required in Haiti. Nearly 1400 children attend at the School of the Infant Jesus.
How do the Salesian Sisters at the School of the Infant Jesus help the very poorest children? Fifty girls from ages 4 to 20, who have no family support, live at the school orphanage. The Sisters provide for all of their care and education through high school.
Some Haitian children must work from an early age. These children are fed and given a place to sleep in exchange for doing cooking or cleaning for the family that hires them. After their work day, 175 servant children attend the 1^st through 5^th grade classes that the Sisters provide for free.
How has St. Simon Parish helped the School of the Infant Jesus in the past?    We work closely with the Salesian Sisters who operate the school. Over the years, they’ve requested help with improvements to the school, scholarships for needy children, teacher training and food for school lunches or special occasions. Some of the improvements include a cafeteria, computer room, solar panels, water filtration and school bathrooms.
After several years of high inflation, the Sisters had to stop serving routine school lunches for the students. But they know how much the children need a nutritious meal. So, our money is used to pay for food during Holy Day celebrations. The children really appreciate a hot meal with some chicken and vegetables. 
When did St. Simon Parish start its twinning program with the School of the Infant Jesus?    St. Simon Parish was twinned with the School of the Infant Jesus in 1997 through the Parish Twinning Program of the Americas, located in Nashville, TN. At that time, the School of the Infant Jesus only had Kindergarten through 5^th grade classes. One of our first projects was to pay for windows and doors for those classrooms.