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For Immediate Release
Office of the First Lady
March 13, 2008

Mrs. Bush's Remarks During a Visit with Students Participating in the IDEJEN Program
College de St. Martin Tours
Port-au-Prince, Haiti

1:21 P.M. (Local)

MRS. BUSH: Well, this might be my last chance to speak to you all before we leave to go on to Mexico. So I want to thank everyone here at IDEJEN, which we've just seen what this program is all about. It's for younger people who have dropped out of school early on, or for some reason were never educated. And so now they come back, they learn to read and write, and then most importantly, there's vocational training so they can get a job. And the program works with the real economic community to make sure there are jobs that people are training for.

A student works on a sculpture Thursday, March 13, 2008, during Mrs. Laura Bush's visit to the IDEJEN educational program at the College de St. Martin Tours, in Port-au-Prine, Haiti. White House photo by Shealah Craighead And in the other room, we met with graduates of the program who have already gotten their certification. Most of them have gotten a job doing whatever they trained to do, and a lot of them are using part of their pay from their new jobs to continue in school. And I think that's really important for students to realize they need to keep going, to study more, and really to complete school.

So I especially want to thank the Director of the program. Thank you very, very much. The Minister of Education, who has joined us, thank you so much, Mr. Minister, for being here. Appreciate it very much. Thanks a lot.

And I especially want to thank the students. Thank you for letting us come visit your school. And good luck to you all. Study hard and keep going.

END 1:24 P.M. (Local)

 

 


Mrs. Laura Bush visits students enrolled in the IDEJEN educational program at the College de St. Martin Tours Thursday, March 13, 2008, in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Speaking to the program’s faculty and staff Mrs. Bush said, “Educating its young people is one of the best things a country can do to ensure its continued development.” White House photo by Shealah Craighead
A choir sings a welcome song for Mrs. Laura Bush during her visit to the IDEJEN educational program at the College de St. Martin Tours Thursday, March 13, 2008, in Port-au-Prince, Haiti.  White House photo by Shealah Craighead
Mrs. Laura Bush, joined by Guerda Previlon, right, chief of party IDEJEN, and Gabriel Bienime, Haiti Education Minister, visits with a student enrolled in the IDEJEN educational program at the College de St. Martin Tours Thursday, March 13, 2008, in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. In an address to the faculty and staff Mrs. Bush said, “Educating its young people is one of the best things a country can do to ensure its continued development.” White House photo by Shealah Craighead
Mrs. Laura Bush, joined by Guerda Previlon, right, chief of party IDEJEN, and Gabriel Bienime, Haiti Education Minister, visits with a student enrolled in the IDEJEN educational program at the College de St. Martin Tours Thursday, March 13, 2008, in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. In an address to the faculty and staff Mrs. Bush said, “Educating its young people is one of the best things a country can do to ensure its continued development.”  White House photo by Shealah Craighead
A student at the IDEJEN educational program reads from a chalkboard Thursday March, 13, 2008, during Mrs. Laura Bush's visit to the program at the College de St. Martin Tours in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. White House photo by Shealah Craighead Printer-Friendly VersionPrinter-Friendly Version   Email this pageEmail This Page