Imagine a 6-year-old American or European child waking up in the morning to get ready for school. One parent may prepare a meal, ready the child for school, and wait at the corner of the house for the school bus to arrive. Now, imagine another child of the same age from Haiti, who wakes up in the morning and readies for school. This child wears a school uniform, and instead of waiting for a bus, must embark on an arduous journey of walking for at least 2 hours to reach the nearest school. This is an average day in the life of a 6-year-old, school-going Haitian child.
During the journey, there is always some kind of threat looming, especially from groups of people with weapons. Sometimes other factors, such as rain and rough terrain, can also worsen the situation. Kids in Haiti can only hope to reach school safely, let alone return, and undergo the same journey every day for at least 10 years to complete their education. Now imagine this happening to not only one child or a few, but most children living in Haiti.
Often, kids in Haiti do not have the proper footwear to allow them to walk long distances to their schools. This often results in soil-transmitted diseases and injuries that prevent them from pursuing their education consistently. Issues like these often stifle the overall education enrollment in Haiti. Every student who is unable to receive proper education is deprived of exploring their talents and potential. Every talent that goes to waste pushes the country back for several years.
However, the landscape in Haiti is slowly changing. With organizations like Those Angels and San Diego Unified, kids in Haiti are now taking advantage of school buses provided by non-profits and other countries to help them commute long distances to their schools. With that said, Haiti is still struggling to develop a robust and sustainable transportation infrastructure in their country. Donors and well-wishers like you can make a difference. Donate or get involved with ITIAH today to make that difference. Every donation we receive helps change the lives of kids in Haiti, and every support from you goes towards helping that child go to school who still hasn’t realized their potential. Join us or donate today at https://itiahangels.org/donation/!”
Sources:
–https://www.unicef.org/media/126286/file/Haiti-Humanitarian-SitRep-June-2022.pdf
–https://open.unicef.org/sites/transparency/files/2022-04/Haiti%20CER%202021.pdf
–https://www.haiti-now.org/education-in-haiti/
–https://www.sandiegounified.org/about/newscenter/all_news/san_diego_unified_sends_buses_to_haiti
Written by Krutarth Trivedi