Imagine a child, an image bearer of Christ, who has limitless potential. This child has no access to the tools to unlock it. This is the reality for too many children in Haiti today.
Before Pastor R left his day job, he dedicated his life to caring for the orphans. These children were displaced by the 2010 and 2011 earthquakes. This is exactly how he viewed the kids.
Providing the kids with education isn’t vital to their physical health. Pastor R and his wife, A, know this. If the kids don’t get an education, they will have fewer ideal work options as adults.
See why providing them the opportunity to attend school until graduation is loving them well in their context.
Understanding the Challenges of Life in Haiti
Let me set the stage for life in Haiti over the last 2-4 years. Or better yet, let me show you. The headlines below show the life-threatening hurdles of living in Haiti.
Young adults in Haiti who don’t have an education face numerous challenges. They scrounge for daily necessities. Some attempt to start businesses with minimal or no access to resources. Others seek to leave Haiti illegally in search of work, or they pledge themselves to a gang.
These options sound dramatic, but we aren’t saying them to get attention; we’re saying them because they’re true. Pastor R consistently states the importance of the kids’ getting an education so they can flourish as citizens of Haiti.
While you may be able to get by in the U.S. without an education, that’s not the current reality in Haiti. Look at the headlines about work in Haiti. You will see the scarcity of resources due to gang violence. You’ll see that Haitians are unable to leave the country. This is due to border conflicts. Additionally, no other country is coming to assist them in fleeing.
Preparing Orphans for a Future of Hope and Opportunity
Let’s imagine that the children currently at the home were brought into the orphanage. They were raised until they were 18 years old. Then, they were asked to leave to work.
What would they do next?
Where would they go?
Pastor and his wife prioritize the well-being of young adults. They would never ask them to leave the orphanage without any assistance or teaching. Even with that assistance in place, what would they do to provide for themselves?
It’s no secret that when a person can’t care for themselves their confidence, mental health, and overall well being suffers. God created us to be workers. We suffer when we can’t provide or find work because of conditions out of our control.
In Haiti, there is no unemployment office to provide temporary income. There is no government assistance for food. There is also no public housing to help Haitians in their time of need.
If you don’t have a job, family, or friends who can help you, you are left to scrounge. You must find someone who will pay you or provide for you. This assistance may be unethical or even illegal.
We don’t know the future. However, a life similar to the one we’ve briefly described would likely be true for the kids. This will happen if they don’t get an education.
“My life before coming here was a miserable situation; no school…God opened this orphanage for us!” 17-year-old in the orphanage who came when he was 4 years old.
Thankfully, we don’t have to imagine this kind of life for the kids at our partner orphanage. Pastor R and his wife, A, won’t settle for anything less.
They need your help to provide financial support. They dedicate their lives to raising the kids in the Word of God. They help the kids flourish as citizens of Haiti!
Transforming Lives Through Christ and Education
After all, if we view the kids as image bearers of Christ, they are our brothers and sisters in Christ. Why wouldn’t we want the absolute best for them? Especially because they are kids!
The difference can be seen in how the kids describe their lives after coming to the orphanage:
“I was brought to the orphanage when I was 6 years old. My father called Pastor R to take me to the orphanage. He did this because my mother wanted to kill me. I am thankful to be here. I am grateful for all that God has done for me. He has kept me out of gangs.” 17 year old.
‘I was brought to the orphanage because my mother couldn’t take care of me. Since I’ve been at the orphanage I am well, safe, comfortable…I feel “in my body. I am thankful for what Christ has done for me.” 16-year-old who came to the orphanage at 3 years old.
“My mother brought me to the orphanage when I was 6 years old. She wanted a better life for me. I had no father to take care of me. I want to be a nurse so I can take care of people.” 15 year old.
Just these three statements from the kids clearly show their lives before and after arriving at the orphanage. Their lives before were plagued with trauma. While some of the kids had parents still living, they were left in situations that were unhealthy. Some parents could not take care of them, and needed help!
Remember, don’t compare the culture and life of the U.S. to that of Haiti. There are big differences in access to assistance for parents and orphans. Also, this all took place after a natural disaster hit Haiti killing 200,000 people!
We thank God every day for one achievement. Every child in the orphanage has attended school every year since 2019. This is a big achievement!
In Haiti, education isn’t free. In some households, it’s common for only a few children to attend school each year. Then, they will trade the following school year, or just wait for their siblings to graduate.
According to UNESCO
Only about 50% of children attend primary school.
Less than 20% of eligible children enroll in secondary school.
1 in 4 young people are illiterate
Living in a rural part of the country, or a neighborhood currently controlled by gangs can limit accessibility to school. While both of these are barriers, the main barrier is money.
In most circumstances, orphans are less likely to attend school. This is due to the amount of money it takes to care for so many children. We praise God. He has provided donors who are passionate about making sure each child at the orphanage attends school each year!
Empowering Young Adults to Thrive and Transform Haiti
One of the oldest children in the orphanage, we will call Tina, is 21 years old. She never had the opportunity to attend school before living at the orphanage. Since arriving, she’s attended school every year and even though she started “behind” she is thriving!
Her dream is to be a nurse so she can help people in Haiti. She only has one more year before she can attend university!
While we’re still a year away, we are starting to think about how our organization can support young adults. These are the ones who desire to attend university or trade school. If you’re interested in learning more about supporting the kids in higher ed click here to let us know.
We would love to share more of Tina’s story, but for the sake of security, we will refrain.
Her story is one of beauty and diligence. We know that God will use her to glorify himself in Haiti. She will flourish as a citizen of Haiti and Heaven.
Pastor R and A are passionate about running an orphanage. One reason is to raise the kids in Haiti. They aim to equip them to be disciples of God’s Word. The goal is for the children to share the Gospel with their community. They also want the kids to use their practical skills to invest in Haiti. The prayerful hope is to be the generation that positively impacts the country.
Join Us in Giving Hope and a Future Through Education
Education is not a privilege, it is a lifeline for these children.
Before living in the orphanage, many of the children did not have dreams. They also lacked hope for the future.
Now, they do! Living at the orphanage has given them the ability to be children and to dream big dreams!
Pastor R and A are dedicating their lives to raising the children. They are doing an amazing job. However, they need our help. They need partners to help support them financially and in prayer.
Our organization exists to provide them with both of those things: financial support while praying consistently.
Sending 14 kids to school each year is around $20,000 a year which includes tuition, supplies, and uniforms.
If you donated $119 a month you could pay for school for one child in 12 months!
For 14 kids to attend school it costs $20,000 which includes tuition, supplies, and uniforms.
Compared to the U.S. that looks like pocket change.
This is your invitation to be a part of God’s transformative work. Donate today and help bring hope to the children of Haiti!
P.S. If you can’t donate today, send our blog to someone you know. Help us spread the word about what God is doing through the orphanage!
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