Friends of Montfort. Inc.
347-541-4122
Press Release
For Immediate Release
Institut Montfort School for the Deaf in Haiti, Under Attack. Deaf Students and Staff Evacuated from campus.
[Croix-Des-Bouquets, Haiti] – Institut Montfort, a school founded in 1957 by the Daughters of Wisdom to educate and nurture deaf and deaf-blind children in Haiti, was the target of a violent attack on Saturday, August 3rd. Armed gangs stormed the premises, disarming security guards and pillaging the site.
Thanks to the swift actions of Sister Lamercie Estinfort, the Institute’s director, and members of the staff, all children, faculty, staff, and nuns were safely evacuated before the situation escalated. While no lives were lost, the attack resulted in significant damage to the Institute. The subsistence farm was seized, vehicles stolen, and livestock, including over 100 pigs, 30 cows, and numerous goats, were taken. The gangs remain in control of the school’s Croix des Bouquet campus as of Monday, August 5th.
“Institut Montfort is the only school for the deaf and deaf-blind children that provides education up to secondary school in the entire country. We educate and nurture children from the age of three until adulthood, making them responsible and capable citizens of Haiti and the world,” said Florence Marc-Charles, board member of the Friends of Montfort. “This is devastating for the children and our immediate community. Classes are supposed to start in the next few weeks, and we need to find space for over 200 displaced children, many of whom have been orphaned and need a space to live and attend classes. We are grateful that no one was harmed, but the loss of property and disruption to our essential work is heartbreaking. Institut Montfort is an educational institution as well as an employer; we have teachers and staff who are effectively unemployed. We implore the authorities to take swift action to restore peace and security to the region. These children, who already face significant challenges due to their inability to hear, now have no access to sign language and are cut off from understanding what is happening in their environment. They are innocent and eager to learn, yet they are now deprived of both their education and their voice. The repercussions of this event will be far-reaching and felt for years.”
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Institut Montfort and Friends of Montfort are asking for individuals and organizations that can provide transportation for the displaced children to be relocated to other campuses.
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The situation is also very dynamic. Once we know what specific requests the school administration has, we will communicate those requests to the world.
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Donations can be made at our website, www.friendsofmontfort.org
About Friends of Montfort:
Friends of Montfort (FOM) is a 501(c)(3) organization that was founded in 1994 to provide financial and development assistance to the Institut Montfort. FOM organizes fundraising events and gift-giving drives to raise awareness of and provide resources to the Institut Montfort in Haiti.
Media Contact:
Florence Marc-Charles, Board Member.
718.974.6688
Friends Of Montfort
Yearly Update
We are their voices!
2023 Annual Report
It was another great year of contributions from our supporters, fundraising activities, and achieving goals to help the children of Haiti. Click the image to see our president's message and review our 2023 accomplishments and goals for 2024 - there is so much more to be done.
2023 Finacial Report
Sharing good news is always special, especially since it is a direct result of your help and support. Click the image to see our president's message, and review our accomplishments and goals for 2022.
Thank you for your continued support.
Mission Statment
Friends of Montfort, Inc. is a non-profit organization whose mission is o provide: encouragement and financial support to deaf and deaf-blind children; scholarships for college-bound deaf high school seniors; and support to Gift of Life to facilitate open-heart surgery for needy Haitian children.
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We support Institute Montfort School for the deaf and deaf-blind children in Haiti. Founded in 1957 by the Daughters of Wisdom, the institute is comprised of four schools. The largest is in Santo, Croix des Bouquets, the second in St. Marc, the third in Lavaud, and the fourth in Cap Haitien. In addition, the institute has a farm in Santo. Institute Montfort is the first institution in Haiti specializing in educating children who are deaf and deaf-blind. It cares for over six hundred children from ages 3 to 20 from all parts of Haiti. The institute fosters the children’s integration into the communities where they will be residing. It also helps them to become responsible citizens and contributing members of society.
The Friends of Montfort, Inc. scholarship program gives two to four scholarships of $1,000 each to college-bound deaf students living in New York State who meet certain eligibility criteria.
Friends of Montfort, Inc. also works with Gift of Life to facilitate open-heart surgery for Haitian children whose very survival depends upon receiving the surgery. For the past several years, Friends of Montfort contributed $10,000 towards the Gift of Life “Save a Child Program.” In addition, members of our board host the child and family and provide translation services between the families and the doctors. Your support and contribution make a difference in the lives of the needy, deaf and deaf-blind children by providing them with the means to break through the wall of silence.
Your contributions help critically ill children to access open-heart surgery and allow them to lead full and healthy lives. They also make the financial burden of attending college a little easier for our deaf scholarship recipients in New York State.
Your contributions are tax-deductible and can be made to:
Friends of Montfort, Inc.
P. O. Box 314
Merrick, New
York 11566-0314
