Finnish Minister for Education and Communications Ms. Krista Kiuru visited in Haiti with the Finnish education experts and private sector representatives September 9-10. Finn Church Aid took part in a workshop set up to develop Haiti’s educational system.

In Haiti, the Finnish education experts are focusing on three main areas: curriculum development, development of teacher education and learning assessment processes. The shared goal for Finn Church Aid (FCA) and the Finnish Ministry of Education is to ensure uninterrupted access to quality education for the children and youth in Haiti.

On September 9th, the Haitian and Finnish Ministries of Education signed a Memorandum of Understanding for education sector development work. The document was signed by Minister Krista Kiuru and Minister Nesmy Manigat. The signing of the document was followed by a four-day workshop, where Finnish education experts together with Haitian colleagues discussed the baseline for and the goals of co-operation.

The Inter-American Development Bank and Finn Church Aid have been working towards launching the cross-border co-operation between Finland and Haiti.

“Finn Church Aid is confident that the Haitian education sector can be reformed in order to develop a fairer society with equal opportunities”, says Uluc Baslanti, Finn Church Aid’s Latin America and Caribbean Regional Representative.

“Building walls is not enough. We also need qualified teachers whose professional work results in better learning outcomes. Finn Church Aid works persistently to reach this goal”, Baslanti comments on the co-operation.

“This co-operation is a long-awaited model for large scale export of the Finnish education expertise.”

Teachers without Borders Finland exports Finnish education know-how

“Various donors and officials in the US, such as the World Bank and the US policymakers, are highly motivated about the successes in the Finnish education system”, says Jouni Hemberg, Finn Church Aid’s Executive Representative in Washington D.C.

“Teachers are key players in developing education systems. Already more than a thousand Finnish teachers and education experts have joined the Teachers without Borders Finland network. The need to strengthen teaching capacity worldwide is continuously increasing and Finnish know-how is highly valued.”

The focus of Finn Church Aid’s (FCA) work in Haiti since the earthquake in 2010 has been on the education sector and in ensuring access to safe learning environments. FCA has successfully built schools that endure earthquakes, hurricanes and other natural disasters that are prone to the region. The construction of these permanent and safe learning environments has been financed by the UN Development Agency (UNDP), Inter-American Development Bank (IADB), Ministry for Foreign Affairs in Finland and with the support of donations by private donors in Finland. FCA, in co-operation with Inter-American Development Bank, will build ten schools in Haiti during the years 2014–2015.

Additionally, FCA has worked with the local communities in Haiti to support the provision of school meals, developing parents’ and teachers’ associations and health and hygiene education. A part of FCA’s work has been to equip local teaching staff with tools for psychosocial support after the 2010 earthquake.

For more information:
Ritka Heino, Director for Funding, Finn Church Aid
ritka.heino@kua.fi, +358 400 103284

Uluc Baslanti, Finn Church Aid Latin America and Caribbean Regional Representative, Finn Church Aid
uluc.baslanti@kua.fi, +509 3702 0399

Twitter @FCA_global