Haiti
“It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men.”
Frederic Douglas
Haiti shares the western side of the island of Hispaniola with the Dominican Republic. With a population of more than 11 million in an area of just under 11,000 square miles, Haiti is the second most populous country in the Caribbean. According to the CIA World Factbook, Haiti is the poorest nation in the Western Hemisphere, with 60% of its population living under the national poverty level.
In February 2013, Barry Williams was one of the members of a mission trip by Fallston United Methodist Church to Haiti to assist with reconstruction after the devastating earthquake in 2010 and were struck by how many places were still heavily damaged or unusable. We remained friends with the translator, Dr. Richard Jean-Baptiste, who founded and runs Shelter of Hope mission serving the families and children in the area. Through him we arranged a return trip in March 2014 and began developing two programs to provide real and lasting relief for children in the small rural village of Desarmes. These programs are funded 100% through charitable donations and volunteer support.
School Tuition
Statically, only 50% of Haitians are considered literate, and only 2% are able to complete high school. In the rural area we serve, there is no access to public education, but there is a parochial school available to the local children. The tuition is $34.50 per month and the school year is 10 months long. Haiti has many challenges that contribute to its overwhelming poverty rate, none of which can be easily or quickly corrected, but education is one of the most reliable tools to reduce poverty rates, so we decided to send some children to school. The first year we were able to find sponsors for 14 children to attend school and provided them with backpacks and school supplies. Along the way we have gained s few Partners and other devoted sponsors, some of whom sponsor more than one child. Each year the program has grown and for the 2019-2020 school year we sponsored 97 children. In 2017 we added a breakfast program, which has also grown, and we added Christmas in July to provide personal items, essentials, and gifts. The more sponsors we have the more children we can help. Sponsors are always needed but all donations are welcome and appreciated. (Make donate a hyperlink)
Children's Center
There is a great need in this rural community to provide services to children at risk. Families that struggle with homelessness and extreme poverty, or are otherwise unable to care for their children, sometimes send them to work for other families in exchange for room and board. This practice, known as Restavek is a form of child slavery and places children at high risk for exploitation. Although much information is available on the internet, Jean Robert Cadet, a well-known former Restavek who works to raise awareness of this practice, posted this video about his life on YouTube.
To help children with the greatest need and at the highest risk of Restavek placement, and to help them stay in school, we would like to open a residential children’s program providing essential services such as food, shelter, medical, and education, as well as community services such as homework assistance and recreational activities. We have located a solid structure (pictured) that would house 20 to 25 children, provided we can raise the money needed for building repairs and furnishings. Please help us protect these children by donating directly through PayPal, Venmo, or by using our Donate button below. You don’t need a PayPal account to make a donation. Any amount is appreciated. The following are only suggestions:
$10.00 to feed a student for a month (provided we have enough for tuition)
$34.50 for tuition for a student for a month
$345.00 provides tuition for a student for a school year
Further information is available upon request by contacting us here.
Global does not have an adoption program from Haiti at this time. We support only humanitarian projects.