Education: The hope that transforms tears into smiles in Haiti
After years away from school, Sofia finds her way back to education thanks to UNICEF Haiti and its National Goodwill Ambassador.
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As the school year approaches in Haiti, Sofia, a 16-year-old girl, receives news that transforms her life: this year, she will finally return to school to continue her classical studies. Unlike other children her age, Sofia was forced to leave school several times due to her family’s financial difficulties and the omnipresent insecurity in the country. These six long years away from the school system deeply affected Sofia, leaving her with a profound sense of abandonment.
"I would love to go back to school. Without education, I will be nothing in life. My life is falling apart. If I had been able to continue my studies without interruption, I would be in NS3 this year," she confided, tears in her eyes.
She added, in a moment of deep sadness:"Whenever there are classes, I feel lonely, without friends. The other kids in the neighborhood go to school, and I stay home. I have to wait for them to return so I can play," Sofia sobbed, tears streaming down her face.
In June 2024, thanks to the proactive engagement of UNICEF’s partners on the ground, several displaced and out-of-school girls, including Sofia, were identified. Fleeing the recurrent violence in her neighborhood in Port-au-Prince in January 2024, Sofia saw her hope of returning to school fade away when she arrived in southern Haiti. Already marginalized from the education system in the capital, she felt abandoned.
It was Sofia’s story, and that of her peers, that touched Jean Jean Roosevelt, UNICEF’s National Goodwill Ambassador. During a visit to the south as part of a campaign to promote children’s rights, he was determined to meet these girls. Deeply moved by their situation, he promised them they would return to school by October 1, 2024, reminding them that access to education is a fundamental right.
" This year, UNICEF and I will do everything to make sure you go back to school. I promise you, Sofia, next October, you will be sitting on a school bench," declared Jean Jean Roosevelt to Sofia and her friends.
Thousands of Haitian children, like Sofia, have been excluded from the school system, often for over a year, due to forced displacements caused by violence. In many communes, displaced children lack essential documents, such as birth certificates or school records, making their enrollment difficult. Additionally, the shortage of available spaces in schools further complicates their reintegration.
In response to this crisis, the Haitian government, UNICEF, and its partners, including the Ministry of National Education and Vocational Training (MENFP), are intensifying efforts to restore these children’s right to education and make their return to school a national priority.
Government Priority - Social Sector
To support the most vulnerable, the Haitian government has reallocated resources through the revised 2023-2024 Finance Law, allocating a total of 12.1 billion HTG to the social sector. Key initiatives include:
- 8.1 billion HTG for cash transfers to families in need,
- 1 billion HTG to combat hunger through community restaurants and solidarity food baskets,
- 2.2 billion HTG to strengthen the social protection system,
- 790.8 million HTG to support displaced individuals.
Additionally, 270,000 parents will receive assistance for the new school year, while 2 million students will benefit from free textbooks for the 2024-2025 school year.
UNICEF’s efforts for the back-to-school campaign are focused primarily on the hardest-hit areas, including the West, Léogâne, Artibonite, Grand'Anse, Nippes, and the South, where Sofia found refuge after fleeing the violence in Port-au-Prince.
On September 10, 2024, Sofia received news that turned her tears into a hopeful smile. That day, UNICEF’s National Goodwill Ambassador Jean Jean Roosevelt, accompanied by UNICEF Representative Bruno Maes, visited the children to announce that they would return to school starting October 1. This announcement rekindled the hope of Sofia and her friends, once again opening the door to a brighter future through access to education.
" Sofia’s story moves me deeply as both UNICEF’s Ambassador and as a Haitian citizen. I call for solidarity, mobilization, and awareness to ensure that we all recognize that education is the foundation of any society. We must prioritize children’s education in every decision for this country," declared Jean Jean Roosevelt.
Sofia and her friends also received school kits provided by UNICEF, along with additional educational materials offered by the Ambassador. Accompanied by UNICEF’s Representative, the Ambassador took the opportunity to show the children their new school and introduce them to their principal. Sofia, beaming, explored the school with enthusiasm, her smile never fading.
"I am very happy. I want to learn a lot of things to help my country. My dream is to become a police officer," Sofia shared joyfully.
In alignment with the government’s priorities, UNICEF has implemented several key initiatives to support displaced children. These efforts have resulted in the integration of 25,460 displaced children into host schools, the distribution of 35,000 school kits, and cash transfers benefiting 11,000 displaced children to help ease their school-related expenses. Additionally, 10 schools have been rehabilitated to provide a safe and conducive learning environment for these vulnerable students.
Despite UNICEF’s and its partners’ full mobilization in Haiti, the organization faces a significant shortage of resources needed to ensure a truly equitable back-to-school campaign. While the entire team is fully committed to providing unwavering support to the children, parents, and teachers in need, the available means remain insufficient.
UNICEF Representative Bruno Maes emphasized the urgency of this situation, stating:
“No child should be left behind. We are calling for international solidarity to mobilize more resources so that every child can return to school,” Bruno Maes.
Sofia’s story exemplifies this challenge and reminds us that thousands of Haitian children are being deprived of their fundamental right to education. Each of us has a role to play in brightening the future of these children, who are aware of their rights but suffer from the inability to exercise them.
