Druide Raises $67,000 for the Fondation Paul Gérin-Lajoie

On June 5, Druide informatique and its subsidiary Éditions Druide held their tenth annual Golf Classic for the Fondation Paul Gérin-Lajoie. The event and the campaign that followed raised $67,000, bringing the total contributions to the PGL foundation to nearly $440,000 since the Druide Classic began.

The money donated this year will allow the foundation to support the three school canteens it established in Mali. Each canteen is run by a committee of women from the community who oversee the purchase of local food, thereby contributing to economic development in the area. They also manage the preparation and distribution of meals to the pupils. In addition, the program promotes gender equality by encouraging parents to send not only their sons but also their daughters to school, as education is often inaccessible to girls.

The grand total of $67,000 was boosted by Druide’s commitment to match dollar-for-dollar the contributions of its customers, partners, and employees, up to $25,000. More than simply a 25th birthday celebration with a difference, this commitment has been a way for Druide to redouble its support, backed by a whole community of contributors, for those across the world who share the French language. Druide would like to thank all of the participants and donors who made this year’s event a success. 

Druide would also like to acknowledge the passing away of Paul Gérin-Lajoie, to whom we owe so much, and whose death represents an enormous loss. With Quebec preparing to pay its last respects to M. Gérin-Lajoie at the state funeral, Druide extends its sincerest condolences to the family and friends of this exceptional man. Having first trained as a lawyer, he contributed to the founding of Quebec’s Ministry of Education in 1964, also serving as its first minister. His most notable achievements include free compulsory education up to 16 years, the creation of polyvalente schools, and a system of higher-education loans and bursaries. A passionate defender of education and literacy, Paul Gérin-Lajoie made it his life’s work to improve access to knowledge throughout the French-speaking world. 

The Paul Gérin-Lajoie foundation’s mission is to promote children’s education and adult literacy in the French-speaking world’s poorest countries. The foundation works to raise awareness of international realities among young Canadians. In Quebec, the foundation is best known for the Dictée P.G.L. Elsewhere, it is primarily recognized  for its sponsorship programs, its Éducateurs sans frontières project, and its schools.