JELA Primary School - Limbe, Haiti

Jela primary school was founded in the year 2007 and opened its doors on 23rd of September of the same year with 150 school children having enrolled.  It was also staffed by four teachers and a headmaster.  It is a non fee paying charity school.  Most students are orphans or less privileged children who cannot afford to go to school.

As there is no free education in Haiti and with the ongoing issues of absolute poverty being experienced in Haiti, children can be found spending their time in the streets with nothing to occupy their time.  These are the reasons it was necessary to establish a school like Jela.

The headmaster of the school is Mr Michel Alcime and the deputy head is Mr Octave Perceval.  The teachers of the school are Jean Giles Ulrick, Casseus Herold, Valere Jean Eddy, Perceval Octave and Colas Bertrand.

MOTTO: United We Stand

Jela primary school was founded as a part of Jela Foundation charity, by Mr Francilien Paul who has been living in London for over 10 years.  Jela is the only school in Limbe which provides free education for deprived orphans and poor children in Limbe, Haiti.

Francilien Paul had a vision and he was directed to help his people.  In 2007 when he was on holiday in Haiti, he understood the reality of this vision.

In 2007, a large hurricane devastated Limbe county in Haiti.  There was great devastation caused and Francilien received an e-mail from Haiti which contained photographs of dead children in the back of some pick-up trucks amongst other victims of the hurricane (some of the pictures are on this site).  

Francilien decided to remortgage his house in the UK, took out a lump sum and went to Haiti to buy 30 acres of land for the purpose of establishing a school.  

Limbe is a city in Haiti which is situated about 26kms south of the capital, Port-au-Prince.  It is also the second largest city in Haiti.  Limbe has a population of approximately 69, 000 people.  It has a historic museum called "Musee de Guayaba" which holds the fossils of the first inhabitants who were the Indians, Arawaks.

Limbe is a beautiful city surrounded by mountains.  There is a very popular mountain known among the people as being called "two heads".  Most people are farmers and others run their own small businesses.  Limbe was founded in 1715 by a catholic priest.  The word Limbe comes from a plant called "Limbes".  There are plenty of these plants around Limbe.  The government cannot provide for the needs of the people in Limbe.