|
HAITIAN PRESIDENT RENÉ PRÉVAL SURPRISES ALL AT MIAMI - Haitian President René Préval paid the Miami-Dade School Board an unexpected visit during its regular meeting Wednesday, to thank the District for its donation of hurricane-relief supplies and to ask for additional assistance, mainly old school portables that can be used as schools, health centers and even shelters. Préval was in Miami on a three-hour stopover and surprised a packed auditorium with his appearance.
Schools Superintendent Alberto M. Carvalho visited Haiti last month and saw the devastation first hand. “We’re going to conduct an inventory of available portables in our district,” Carvalho said. “I’m also going to have conversations with the governor and the commissioner of education to determine the inventory throughout the state, and I believe that we can do a very good thing for the island of Haiti.” The District’s relief efforts have already resulted in 15 tons of supplies and equipment collected by Miami-Dade County Public Schools students. “If you help me solve this problem, at the same time you would be helping children, which like here, would like to go to school,” said Préval. # # # 08-JJS/357/HD |
“Thank you for everything the county has done for Haiti,” Préval said, speaking through an interpreter. “As you may know Haiti has suffered four hurricanes during a two-month period. It has been a month now since the last hurricane hit us, and we still have people sleeping on the street or on the roofs of their houses. We have little kids exposed to the sun and the rain. It is unimaginable.”