The 2025-26 school year began on Tuesday, October 7th. St. Francis’ 11 schools are bustling with excited students. During this time, we look ahead to what the new academic year will bring and imagine the future of education on La Gonâve. In 2024, US partners provided for preschool chairs to be made in Bainet, a city in the southern mainland. Due to security issues, the finished chairs were unable to be moved to a port. Just before this school year started, the chairs could finally be trucked from Bainet to the port in Miragoane, then sailed from Miragoane to Point-à-Raquette on La Gonâve. Père Vil and his staff drove across the island to pick them up. Currently, people use Point-à-Raquette for boat travel to access the safer ports of the southwestern mainland. The people of La Gonâve must constantly adapt to the shifting security landscape