Hope For Haiti
Education Scholarships

HISTORY 2010-2024

Esterne Bruner
Human Rights Activist shot dead in 2006

Esterne Bruner Memorial Scholarships 

Began in 2010 with collaboration of Haitian citizens
of a neighborhood human rights council; 5 schools, 175 students

 In Year #1, September 2010, HHE's scholarship program began with St. Mary Magdalene Mission School, Grand Ravine, + 4  Protestant schools with a total of 175 students.  In year #10 a donor was recruited to sponsor 18 students in the Parish School, St. Bernadette, Martissant. 

Violence and fundraising caused a drop in Year #9 to only St. Mary Magdelene 

     SCHOLARSHIPS: for the most impoverished Haitian children in the inner-city neighborhood––Grand Raviine–– of the capitol, Port-Au-Prince: tuition and school supplies originally $200.00.  

• Note: Tom Luce, Coordinator of HHE had connections to Haiti from a Haitian seminary classmate in Rome, 1960-64. So when the President of Haiti, Jean-Bertrand Aristide, was ousted in Feb. 2004 by a combination of CORE (click) countries including the USA, Tom went to Haiti to learn what happened with a group called, EPICA (Ecumenical Program on Central America and the Caribbean, ) ––which no longer exists.
• Beginning then in 2004-2010 he began helping a Haitian social justice workers in a group called AUMOHD (click)- (Association of Grad Students Motivated for Rights in Haiti).
• He organized HURAH click (Human Rights Accompaniment in Haiti) to support AUMOHD's work mainly with street kids jailed illegally. The very violent neighborhood of Port-Au-Prince––Grand Ravine––became the center for the work of CHRC/GR, a citizens human rights council.
• This group became the origin of HHE for choosing a project to help Haiti. Of all the desperate needs CHRC/GR chose scholarships, putting the most impoverished children in school––and keeping them with family at home–– to give them a more successful future than being locked in jail from the streets.

• Years  1 - 2  (2010-2013)= 175 scholarships in 5 local private, religious schools, including the Catholic mission school, St. Mary Magdalene
• Years 3 - 8  (2013-2018)= 100 scholarships in 4 local private, religious schools Including St. Mary Magdalene
• Year 9   (2018-2019)= due to violence HHE reduced to 50 students at one of the original schools, St. Mary Magdalene, a Catholic school, a mission of St. Bernadette parish
• Year 10  (2019-2020) Year 10 was upset by violence and Covid-19, but was completed with special arrangements. Continue the 50 students at St Mary Magdalene although HHE was very unhappy to have to close out the other schools and 50 students.  Began a new school with 18 students-Year 1, at St. Bernadette, the parish school, thanks to a special donor.  Note: classes did not begin until January of 2020 due to political violence and new students were added for the half-year.
• Year 11  (2020-2021) Completed funding for this year=50 students at St. Mary Magdalene, and Year 2, 18 at St. Bernadette parish school
• Year 12  (2021-2022) = 50 scholarships at St. Mary Magdalene and Year 3, 18 at St. Bernadette also $300.00 per scholarships. Due to Covid-19 we had to obtain donations rather than holding group events, , either from individuals, or from groups. 
• Year 13   (2022-2023) = 50 scholarships at St. Mary Magdalene and Year 4, 18 at St. Bernadette. $300 per scholarship
• Year 14   (2023-2024) = 50 scholarships at St. Mary Magdalene and Year 5, 18 at St. Bernadette. $300 per scholarship

We can receive money at church destined to HHE Ministry with a check made to St. Columba and HHE on the memo line. 

To contribute online to our tax-deductible funds:

Scholarships: tuition, school supplies $320.00

(general scholarship support)

Thank you so much for your support!

 Click here to learn more of the history of the Bruner Memorial Scholarships

THE BRUNER MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIPS > 
Click to go to the detailed website For Hope For Haiti: Education, HHE