Religions for Peace Multi-Religious Humanitarian Fund Supports Continued Education of Haitian Students Amidst Ongoing Violence
Through support from Religions for Peace’s flagship Multi-Religious Humanitarian Fund (MRHF), Religions for Peace Haiti eased the financial burden of 15 families displaced by gang violence in the Martissant, Cite Soleil and Croix-des-Bouquets areas in Haiti. As a result, ten elementary schoolchildren and five university students were able to complete the 2021-2022 academic year.
Due to gang violence, thousands of Haitian citizens, including women and children, were forced to flee their home located in the Martissant, Cite Soleil and Croix-des-Bouquets areas. They either moved to the home of close relatives, usually in insecure conditions, or rented a place elsewhere. Apart from forced displacement, the crisis has also imposed a heavy financial burden on every individual and family in the affected areas. Oftentimes, families are forced to sacrifice expenses that are essential to children’s holistic well-being and development – such as education – in order to survive and pay for rent and food.
One of the project participants, Ms. Dieurimene Exador, was forced to leave her house in Martissant due to the rising insecurity and gang violence in the area. While she found a place to live in Port-au-Prince with her youngest child, she had to place her other three children in homes that were far from Port-au-Prince. When asked about the impact of the project, she stated, “I am a single mother taking care of four children on my own. I barely have the means to feed all of them. With this situation where I am separated from three of my children, my expenses increased because [of the need to] send money to each one of them. I was doing a small commerce activity and this only source of income could not sustain all these expenses. Needless to say, these funds that I received from Religions for Peace were a lifesaver. I used part of it to finish paying for my youngest child’s tuition and used the rest to reinforce my small business. By doing so, I was able to generate some money to send to my other children and prepare for the next academic year. I am forever grateful to Religions for Peace for their support.”
The ongoing violence, as well as its harmful effects on thousands of families, has led to an education crisis within Haiti. Parents are either unable to send their children to school due to the lack of financial resources or are unwilling to send their children due to violence present within educational institutions. Throughout the 2021-2022 academic year, a total of 1,700 schools were closed, 60,000 children were unable to attend school, and 193,000 children were affected by violence, including school shootings and gang-led attacks. From 2019 to present – between the COVID-19 pandemic, kidnapping, political fights between government officials vying for power, gang violence, and forced displacement – no school day has passed uninterrupted.
Heeding the call for immediate action, Religions for Peace Haiti, with support from the Multi-Religious Humanitarian Fund, worked with local religious and faith communities in its provision of humanitarian and financial support to 15 families whose lives and well-being have suffered due to ongoing gang violence and forced displacement. Religions for Peace recognises the importance of education to the holistic well-being and development of children, especially as violent conflict and forced displacement often jeopardise the needs and safety of children, rendering them the “silent victims” of such crises. Through Religions for Peace Haiti’s project, the families of ten elementary students and five university students were provided with the financial resources to complete the 2021-2022 academic year.
One of the participants of Religions for Peace Haiti’s project, Emmanuelle Raphael, explains that “When the gangs invaded the area, my family and I had to move out and take refuge to Cabaret, where we had to get a room at a motel for several days.” Due to the situation, her family was no longer able to financially support her so that she could complete the academic year. The support from the Multi-Religious Humanitarian Fund alleviated the financial burden on her family and allowed her to complete her studies at Notre Dame University. She continues, “God came to our rescue through Religions for Peace and this project, and for that I am very thankful.”
Religions for Peace continues to play an integral role in ensuring that religious and faith communities are equipped to continue catalysing multi-religious collaboration and action in service of families and children, IDPs, refugees, and the most vulnerable populations within and beyond Haiti. The work of organisations like Religions for Peace Haiti continues to have a positive and lasting impact on the lives of many children and families who continue to be affected by ongoing violence. Through the Multi-Religious Humanitarian Fund, Religions for Peace continues to support interfaith initiatives that provide direct lifesaving assistance to millions of people who are affected by conflict and other global crises.
We ask that you consider giving a gift to the Religions for Peace Multi-Religious Humanitarian Fund today, so that we may continue supporting interfaith initiatives that deliver lifesaving humanitarian assistance where the needs are greatest and most urgent.