More than three decades ago, Myrtha Manigat transformed her home and her retirement into a mission: giving girls in Lilavois, Haiti, the education, care, and dignity they deserved. What began with 20 girls who had nowhere else to turn has grown into Ecole Agape—the School of Love—a place where young women receive free education, daily meals, health support, and the chance to build a better future.
Today, Friends of Ecole Agape continues Myrtha’s vision by supporting the only free all-girls school in the community. For families facing extreme poverty, the cost of uniforms, books, supplies, transportation, and meals can make education impossible. Ecole Agape removes those barriers and gives girls a safe, nurturing place to learn, grow, and prepare for life beyond the classroom.
What Your Support Makes Possible
Donor generosity has helped Ecole Agape grow from borrowed afternoon classroom space into a school with dedicated classrooms, a preschool, a library, computer instruction, sewing and vocational training, nutritious meals, sanitation improvements, security support, and a wellness clinic for students and teachers.
- Education: Free schooling, textbooks, supplies, uniforms, teacher salaries, and tuition support for students continuing beyond sixth grade.
- Health and safety: Daily food support, clean water, sanitation upgrades, perimeter security, and a nurse-staffed wellness clinic.
- Technology and literacy: Computers, tablets, laptops, internet access, a digital library, and classroom learning tools.
- Life skills: Sewing and vocational training that help students build confidence and prepare for future opportunities.
Why Giving Now Matters
The need is growing. Rising food and fuel costs, safety concerns, and the expansion into seventh grade have increased the school’s monthly expenses. Friends of Ecole Agape is helping fund teacher salaries, classroom supplies, food support, clinic supplies, student tuition, technology, and new grade-level programming.
In 2026, Ecole Agape completed the requirements to open seventh grade on campus. This is an important step forward because it allows more girls to continue their education in a trusted, supportive environment. The additional teachers and supplies for this program will cost approximately $462 per month, while students entering eighth and ninth grades will continue to need tuition support to attend other schools.
How You Can Help
Your gift helps keep Ecole Agape free for the girls who need it most. Every contribution—large or small—supports education, meals, health, safety, and hope. When you donate, you are not simply funding a school day; you are helping a young girl stay in school, build confidence, and imagine a future with more choices.
- Donate to support tuition, meals, teacher salaries, supplies, and health services.
- Sponsor a student and help provide the essentials she needs to learn and thrive.
- Share our mission with friends, family, faith communities, and local organizations.
- Stay engaged by following updates, helping us grow our community of supporters, or volunteering at an event.
A Lasting Legacy
Myrtha Manigat’s dream was simple and powerful: that Ecole Agape would continue serving girls from poor families in Haiti. Thanks to dedicated families, volunteers, churches, donors, and partners, that dream is still alive. Former students have gone on to further education and careers as teachers, nurses, and business professionals—and some have returned to help the next generation of students.
With your support, Friends of Ecole Agape can continue to protect this legacy and expand what is possible for every girl who walks through the school’s doors.
The sewing room was furnished by Friends in 2022 with sewing tables, storage areas, tables, chairs and mirrors. It proved to be a popular addition for the students.
Our Timeline
1990
Myrtha Manigat, the founder of Ecole Agape (School of Love) took in 20 young girls who had no home or future. She gave them a home, love, education and guidance in leading exemplary lives. Some of the original ‘Myrtha’s Girls’ have returned and now help run Ecole Agape. She began by teaching the children elementary education and persuaded a nearby public school to let her use its classrooms for three hours each afternoon after regular classes ended. This arrangement allowed Ecole Agape to serve children whose families could not afford uniforms, fees, textbooks, or basic school supplies. She focused on girls because, in many poor families, they were the least likely to attend school. She also welcomed Restavek girls—children sent to live with other families as servants because their own families could not support them—into the afternoon classes. For these girls, a primary education offered more than learning; it offered hope, opportunity, and a path out of poverty.
1991
The Social Justice Committee at St. Thomas Aquinas Church in Storrs learned about Myrtha Manigat’s work and chose Ecole Agape as its outreach ministry in Haiti, providing financial support, supplies, and food.
1995
St Thomas Aquinas Church launched a sponsorship program to cover each child’s education costs, including fees, uniforms, textbooks, supplies, and teacher salaries and training. Funds were paid directly to the school to ensure they supported education.
1998
Ecole Agape launched a food program to provide a simple meal for students, many of whom arrived hungry, and opened a preschool on the front porch of Myrtha’s house. University of Connecticut students and St. Thomas parishioners helped strengthen the Haiti ministry through visits, fundraising, and support coordinated with the diocesan Haiti Ministry and Mission House. Their efforts helped fund additional teachers and school supplies. In 2001, a $25,000 truck was purchased to transport students and deliver food from Myrtha’s home to the school.
2010
In 2010, an earthquake destroyed La Providence, where Ecole Agape held classes. Miraculously Myrtha’s home survived, along with all teachers and most of her students. Soon after, a delayed food delivery helped feed the school community and neighbors, while four donated tents provided temporary shelter and later served as classrooms.
2011
Terre des Hommes, an Italian agency working in Haiti, rebuilt La Providence school, allowing Ecole Agape to once again share classroom space.
2014
A South Windsor, CT group began supporting Ecole Agape’s preschool in partnership with the St. Thomas Haiti Ministry. That same year, Myrtha Manigat passed away, leaving behind a clear wish that Ecole Agape continue serving girls from poor families in Lilavois. Her family honored that legacy by continuing her work: her nieces, Marie Michelle, Chantal, and Margaret took active roles in school administration, established the nonprofit Foyer Agape to oversee operations, and gifted Myrtha’s house to support the school’s future.
2015
When St. Thomas Church ended its Haitian ministry in 2015, dedicated supporters formed Friends of Ecole Agape, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit created to sustain and strengthen the school. Today, Friends of Ecole Agape continues Myrtha’s mission by helping provide girls in Haiti with education, care, and opportunity.
2021
Once the girls returned to school after the COVID pandemic, Ecole Agape launched a Saturday sewing program to help students build practical skills without disrupting their academic studies. To support the program, Friends shipped barrels filled with 20 new and used sewing machines, fabric, thread and other sewing supplies. In 2022, Friends furnished the sewing room with tables, storage areas, chairs, and mirrors, creating a dedicated space that quickly became popular with students. The same year 10 computer tablets were supplied to the academic area.
2023
To help secure the school’s future, Friends of Ecole Agape began setting aside a portion of donor funds after annual operating needs were met, placing them in a low-risk Ameritrade Brokerage fund for long-term stability and sustainability of the school. The same year, Ecole Agape expanded student support by adding a nurse-led health education class, receiving 80 menstruation kits from Altrusa for older students, and hiring a security guard to help protect students and teachers.
2024
Friends of Ecole Agape responded to local gang disturbances by funding $1,000 in perimeter wall reinforcements, increasing teacher salaries by 30%, and raising food support by 20% to offset rising food and fuel costs.
2025
Friends supported 12 sixth-grade graduates with tuition to continue their education outside Ecole Agape and strengthened classroom learning with four new laptops and an audiovisual screen.
2026
This year Ecole Agape opened a nurse-staffed wellness clinic, with Friends providing $60 per month for supplies. The school also completed requirements to add seventh grade on campus, an expansion that will cost an additional $462 per month while Friends continues tuition support for eighth and ninth-grade students attending other schools. A free digital library app, developed by the Wicks family, now gives teachers and students access to thousands of age-appropriate books in French, English, Spanish, and Creole, on tablets provided by Friends, reducing the need for costly printed boo