Spring 2026 – 2nd Floor Roof Done, Scholarship Program, & 11th Gala
The Second Floor of the new High School has been crowned with a roof (below) – what a way to start 2026 and our 11th year of humanitarian service in Haiti! Our next step is to finish the interior of the 2nd Floor so that it can be used for educational purposes as the 1st Floor has been for the past two years. Thank you to the Dingle Star Walkers and their Walkathon, Anna J & Ella R of a local Marin high school, and so many others whose contributions made the 2nd Floor roofing possible – thereby completing the exterior structure of the high school. One of our areas of focus later in 2026 and into 2027 will be to complete the interior of the high school with more desks & chairs, library books, learning lab computers, both electric & alternative energy sources, and paint & plaster. Thank you to all who have helped the new High School reach a usable, 80% state of completion. Now, let’s finish the project together and provide La Grotte community with the lasting gift of Education which will span generations to come.
Our Scholarship Students met over the Winter Break (below) in early 2026. Their all-day sessions included student presentations, academic planning, camaraderie, supply distribution, and fun. The Scholarship Program has been growing as all returning students from the 2024-25 academic year surpassed their grade requirements; and new scholarship students have been added for the 2025-26 academic year. Thank you to those who have supported the Scholarship Program in some manner. Because of you, young students in Haiti are receiving an education – a key, growth element they would not have obtained otherwise.
Prior to Haiti On The Rise’s involvement, the primary school in Vialet – a rural community north of Port-au-Prince – had been closed for a number of years due to lack of funding. In 2019, we helped reopen the Kindergarten through 5th grade institution, which was a welcomed improvement in an area with few educational options for young students. Pictured below are recent images of the students at Vialet Primary School. Through Haiti On The Rise’s partial scholarships, the primary school has remained in operation and is providing quality education and daily nutrition to its growing student body of more than 100 pupils. Thank you to those supporting our Scholarship Program which provides the more than 100 partial scholarships to keep this primary school functioning and serving its young students and their families.
Earlier in March 2026, Randall Lee joined his wife Jackie Lee to become a fellow member of the Rotary Club of Novato (RCN). When long-time Rotarian Keith A invited Jackie & Randall to a RCN luncheon in early 2024, both guests could identify with Rotary International’s beliefs & practices of “Service Above Self” and the 4-Way Test. In fact the Haiti On The Rise co-founders have lived their daily lives and interacted with others in such manners, so they felt at home. Shortly after her visit to RCN, Jackie became a Rotarian in March 2024, and now Randall is proud to join her and the other Rotarians in Novato (below top-left) and around the world.
Also in March, Jackie & Randall presented their Haiti On The Rise projects in Education at the Rotary District 5150 Assembly (below top-right and bottom-left & middle) along with dozens of other Rotarians whose exhibits of local, regional, and international projects displayed their beliefs and practices of “Service Above Self”. Jackie also had the opportunity to present Haiti On The Rise, a Novato Chamber of Commerce member, at the recent Novato Chamber Small Business Fair. In the bottom-left image, Jackie is joined by fellow Novato Chamber members Sherri Jacobs (left) and Patty Campbell (right).
Haiti On The Rise will have its 11th Annual Fundraiser & Silent Auction on Saturday, April 11th, 2026 at St Mary’s Cathedral in San Francisco (Geary & Gough) from 5 to 9PM (below). Please click on the links & images above and below to learn more about and register for our upcoming 11th Annual Gala. It is primarily through this yearly event that Haiti On The Rise is able to perform its humanitarian services in Education, Construction, and Food & Healthcare Distribution in Haiti.
We look forward to seeing you on Saturday, April 11th. If you are unable to attend that evening but would like to support Haiti On The Rise in some manner, please visit our DONATE page. Thank you for your interest in Haiti On The Rise for it is people like you who enable us to do our humanitarian work in Haiti.
With Much Love & Gratitude,
Haiti On The Rise