New sponsorship program to help keep school children out of Haitian gangs
Haiti (MNN) – Schools are swinging into gear in many places including Haiti. Rosaline DeHart with For Haiti with Love says that while school began on September 7, many desks in Cap Haitien are empty.
Missing the Finances for School
DeHart says that with increased gang violence in the south, there has been an influx of people in Cap Haitien, including children. Families that have lived in Cap Haitien for years as well as refugee families often are living day-to-day. For most in this situation, sending children to school just isn’t possible.
DeHart says, “In Haiti, you pay to go to school. It’s not free. So what we are trying to do is get kids off the street and get as many as we can in school. When you get them off the streets, you have less potential gangs because gangs use the kids to do their dirty work. So we get them in school, get them busy in school, learn something. So we’re trying to get as many kids that we can into the school system. It’s not that expensive. It only takes $200 a kid to get the kids to school.”
That $200 covers tuition and a uniform for one child for an entire year. To help more children get into school, For Haiti with Love is reopening a child school sponsorship program. Donors would be able to get updates on a specific child that they support.
Slowing Gang Recruitment
This type of sponsorship can make a massive difference to a child. Gang violence is common in Haiti and recruitment begins early. Unfortunately there is a draw to joining gangs when you are living in extreme poverty.
(Photo courtesy of For Haiti with Love)
“They use the kids to go from one city to another. They use the kids to go back and forth. They pay them a little amount of money to make them do whatever they want. And when you’re on the street hungry, you’ll take it.”
For Haiti with Love hopes to see 250 students sponsored by the start of the next term in January. These children want to go to school and learn, but the money just isn’t there for most families. Sponsors can change that.
Getting Involved
School can make a huge difference in a child’s life. DeHart says, “This little kid wanted to go to school and came up to the headquarters and said she wanted to go to school. She saw everybody in their preschool uniform, and she wanted to wear one too, and go learn.”
The organization found the funds to send her to school and she is doing really well. She is getting a start that many children don’t receive. Not only that, but opportunities like this to send kids to school open up avenues to share the Gospel with families. For Haiti with Love gets to share the why behind the practical help that school is to families. They are praying for more opportunities like this.
DeHart says, “We pray that Haiti will get better. We pray that things will change, and we also pray that we can able to get those kids off the street and go to school. They want to learn.”
Please pray for Haiti. If you want to help sponsor a year of school for a Haitian child, please contact For Haiti with Love at forhaitiwithlove.org.
Representative header photo courtesy of Peter Holmboe via Pexels.