CFO
SOS SUD CORP
Welcome to SOS Sud Corp.! PLEASE DONATE TO SUPPORT OUR MISSION! Your donation is tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law!
Genesis of SOS Sud Corp.
In 2016, a group of friends who grew up in the South of Haiti started a WhatsApp forum, Moun Grand Sud – MGS (People from the Greater South), to reconnect, keep up with the news from back home and share memories. MGS has become a place where people can feel free to speak their mind, crack a joke and relieve stress.
After the devastation caused by hurricane Matthew in Haiti, some members of the forum decided to join forces to help the victims, but the activities and efforts lacked coordination and were not as efficient as could be. As a result, we decided to create a formal group composed of selected members of MGS that will focus on addressing one or two specific problems facing our country. We named it SOS Sud.
SOS Sud symbolizes a cry for help. In Haiti, the education system is not designed to enable most children to succeed nor to realize their potential and achieve their dreams. Statistics show that 84 % of children live in poverty and 62% live below the poverty line. Only a small percentage of those children will eventually graduate from a University.
In 2019, we obtained our 501(c)(3) status and became SOS Sud Corp., a registered non-profit organization. Our mission focuses on a broad range of educational and social activities. We are committed to expanding educational opportunities in private and public schools in the Southern part of Haiti and keeping the youth engaged in healthy extra-curricular activities. Our goal is to work shoulder-to-shoulder with students, educators, community members, elected officials, local and international organizations to support academic and personal growth beyond traditional expectations.
To help carry out our mission, in July 2018, we established an affiliate organization in the city of Les Cayes – SOS Sud Haiti -, which is duly authorized by the “Ministère des Affaires Sociale et du Travail (MAST)” to operate in the country. In July 2020, SOS Sud Camp-Perrin came to existence. Our objective is to help create many branches in the region that will operate under the supervision of SOS Sud Haiti.
Highlights of our activities and accomplishments: 2019-2021
2019:
In keeping with our mission, SOS Sud Corp. sponsored make-up classes (“Mise-a-Niveau”) that benefited over 300 senior students in Les Cayes.
The main objective of this initiative was to help fill the gap created in the 2019 school year curriculum by three months of unrest in the country. This was the first time that an organization headquartered in the United States has carried out such an initiative. The success rate at the official national exam for those who had the opportunity to participate in the program was close to 90%.
The program generated national attention and a lot of enthusiasm from the students in the city. It put SOS Sud Corp. on the map in the region as an organization that can get things done.
We are pleased to note that the 2019 “Mise-a-Niveau” program, which cost over US$4,000 was 100% funded by contributions from SOS Sud Corp. members. We have other educational and social projects in the pipeline. We need your help and support to carry them through.
2020:
Thanks to a few fundraising activities and individual donations from our members, we keep SOS Sud Corp. afloat financially. We were able to acquire and ship audio and video equipment, as well as board games to Haiti. This has contributed to SOS Sud Haiti becoming more operational while providing opportunities to the youth to become more engaged in healthy activities and recreation. As a result, the group has promptly positioned itself as an essential youth organization in the region for educational and social events.
In March 2020, the CODIV-19 pandemic has spread around the globe. SOS Sud Haiti was called upon to assist in the efforts to educate the locals about the virus.
The following summarizes our key achievements for 2020:
n May 2020, our colleagues in Les Cayes put together an ambitious mobilization and awareness COVID-19 campaign covering 18 cities, towns, and communities throughout the southern department in two months. With a well-orchestrated education campaign, the distribution of gloves, masks, and sanitary kits, this activity was a success in every measurable way.
In July 2020, SOS Sud Haiti carried out several cleaning, fumigation and disinfection projects at public offices, schools, churches and health centers in both the city of Les Cayes and Camp-Perrin.
In December 2020, SOS Sud Haiti, in collaboration with other youth groups, led the effort to clean up and beautify the city park (“Place d’Armes des Cayes”) in preparation for the end of the year celebrations. Also in December 2020, the members organized a guided tour of the Botanical Garden in Bergeaux, an area located just a few kilometers from the city.
2021:
In February 2021, SOS Sud Camp-Perrin led a mass sanitation effort for their city. Many other youth organizations participated in the movement, which was a success.
In March 2021, SOS Sud Haiti members carried out or participated in a series of educational and social activities, including:
Visit and distribution of sanitary kits to female prisoners incarcerated at the police station in Les Cayes. They were accompanied by their colleagues from SOS Sud Camp-Perrin and members of a local group, Women in Action.
Conference/debate on the scabies disease (“maladie de la gale”) in coordination with a local youth group, AJPE.
Launching of the Youth House (“Maison de la Jeunesse”) project. The Youth House provides a space where young people in the city can socialize on weekends while playing traditional games such as chess, checkers, checkerboard, and dominos or modern video games or watching a movie. Since its inception, this project has enjoyed tremendous success. However, more can be done!
We need your help and support. Currently, the Youth House project in Les Cayes does not have a place or a space that it can call its own. Our goal is to find a permanent place that the youth in the city can actually call home and where they can learn, socialize and have fun.
Many of the young people participating in this project also possess entrepreneurial skills and spirits. The Youth House will also serve as a platform where they can showcase their talent, products, crafts, etc., and share creative ideas.
In May 2021, SOS Sud Corp. sent another shipment of audio and video equipment and games to Haiti for our affiliate in Camp-Perrin. The equipment and games will serve the youth under SOS Sud Camp-Perrin’s leadership. It is also important to note that the Youth House project in Camp-Perrin has a permanent home, at least for the foreseeable future.
Projects in the Pipeline
In pursuit of its mission, SOS Sud Corp. has a few projects in the pipeline and needs your help and support to implement them. Projects’ summaries can be found below:
Establish a modern library in Les Cayes – SOS Sud Haiti Library – that will serve the needs of the public. Thanks to the efforts of one of our members in Montreal, Canada, we already have in storage thousands of books donated by some of the city public schools. We need computers, laptops and other audio and video equipment for the library.
Build a cluster of mobile libraries using school buses that are no longer in use but in good working condition. These buses will be retrofitted and turned into mobile libraries that will bring knowledge and education at students’ fingertips. We are reaching out to individuals and schools for help in carrying out this project.
Seek to acquire through donation ambulances that are in good working condition to ship to the city of Les Cayes. The city is the third largest of Haiti. It was built for thirty thousand people and has now reached 275 thousand. At its current state, the city does not have enough ambulances to service the population. We are reaching out to individuals and healthcare organization for assistance in making this project a reality.
Your help and support are vital in maintaining the presence and visibility our young organization and affiliates have been enjoying. Kudos to all of you! As an organization in its infancy, SOS Sud Corp. has accomplished a lot in a short period of time.
Please visit our website at www.sossud.org to learn more about our work!
Our contact information for inquiries, suggestions or donations by check is listed below:
SOS Sud Corp.
5832 Elon Dr., Orlando, FL 32808
Phone: 978-221-9689
You can also donate through CashApp: $SOSSUDCORP
Or Zelle: infos@sossud.org
Bank of America Account Info:
Account Number: 8980 9848 2402
We believe that establishing and maintaining a robust internal control system over our operations are important. As the Chief Financial Officer of the organization, I am committed to ensuring that every dollar received and spent is accounted for. Although SOS Sud Corp. is not legally required to file with the Internal Revenue Service at this time, as a matter of best practice and for the sake of transparency, we do produce semi-annual and annual financial reports (or Statements of Activities/Operations) that are available to our members and donors upon request.