New York, N.Y. The Japan American Association (JAA) of New York has made a generous contribution to an important project of Orphans International Worldwide (OIWW) in Haiti. JAA has actively participated in helping the global community since inception, most recently assisting victims of Hurricane Katrina and the Tsunami in Indonesia. This civic organization has also funded the September 11th Fund, earthquake relief in Japan, and the International AIDS Conference in Yokohama.

One program initiated is the OIWW Haiti College Prep Leadership Training Program for 50 particularly bright high school graduates, with English and computer training, based on the premise that Haiti does not need a hand-out, just a helping hand. OIWW is working actively to place these students in university scholarship programs around the world. These students are in turn mentoring OIWW Haiti’s orphaned children.

Project Leogane is taking place in the East Province of Haiti, 18 miles West of Port-au-Prince. Leogane was the epicenter of the January 12 earthquake that destroyed Haiti, leaving 90% of its buildings in ruins. OIWW’s specific objective is to provide post-disaster family-care programming for orphaned children living with their extended families there, which is a part of Project Leogane.
OIWW Haiti has partnered with the Ecole Primaire la Redemption elementary school in Leogane, which runs until the ninth grade and will be extended to grade thirteen one year each successive year. The school has a three-story structure with about seventeen classrooms that sustained minimum damage during the earthquake, and has the original two story wooden structure adjacent to it. Classes now are held in 17 tents erected in the school yard.
At the end of the day, it is all about helping the children of Haiti resume productive lives.


Other Stories by Jim Luce about Japan and Haiti in The Stewardship Report:
Keiko Tsuyama: Japanese Woman of the World
Yoko Ono Support Mayor Akiba and Nuclear Disarmament at John Catsimatidis’ Fifth Avenue Home
Japan’s PIKADON Project & Hiroshima Yes! Campaign in New York City
Orphans International Partners with Haitian School Founded by Orphan
College Prep Leadership Training Begins for our Orphan Mentors
Follow Jim Luce on Twitter: www.twitter.com/jimluce
Originally published in The Huffington Post, June 21, 2010.