Access to education despite security challenges in Haiti. – Haiti

With funding from ECHO, more than two hundred children living in areas controlled by armed groups prepared for end-of-year exams during the 2022-2023 school year.

Rachel Opota

The education system in Haiti faces significant challenges, largely due to the prevailing insecurity across much of the country. Many children living in areas controlled by armed groups encounter difficulties in accessing education, often due to the closure of schools in these areas or the lack of qualified teachers able to provide quality teaching.

Amidst this turmoil, hope endures, and the determination persists among children who strive to attend school despite challenging circumstances. Similarly, driven educators’ endeavor to impart their knowledge to offer these children a brighter future. Andoue Yamara, a teacher at the National Community Based School of Village de Dieu, stands as the only woman among 17 other educators who participated in a training program organized by the Departmental Directorate of Education of the West, supported by ECHO. Their training aimed to provide tailored crash courses to prepare children living in areas controlled by armed groups for national exams.

Through these supplementary sessions, she offers children the opportunity to catch up on missed school hours and better equip themselves for national exams.

Children eagerly seek education, but a secure environment is essential to prepare for their future. Those in Village de Dieu, often unjustly labeled as part of armed groups, aspire to learn, and break away from this stereotype. It’s crucial to acknowledge that these children deserve an equal chance to access quality education as anyone else.
Andoue Yamara, teacher at the Village de Dieu National Community School.

To facilitate children’s access to exam preparation rooms, two schools situated in buffer zones of Martissant—National School of Thor and National School Don of Dumerlin—welcomed children from five other schools in the Martissant area. Jean Ronel Belizaire, director of the Dumerlin school, expresses delight in welcoming these children. He highlights the significant challenge of ensuring access to education for children in areas frequently affected by violence.

These children are deprived of a proper education in their local environment. We strive to educate them to the best of our ability to prepare them for their future.
Jean Ronel Belizaire, Headmaster of the Dumerlin school.

The disruptions caused by shootings and unstable areas impact not only children’s access to education but also their mental health. Derival, aged 20, shares his story.

This crisis weighs heavily on my heart; it’s stressful. I was born in Carrefour Feuilles, and I was with my mother, but criminals took her life. Even while studying for the baccalaureate, the constant shootings disrupt our focus.
Derival

Despite these overwhelming challenges, this resilient young student finds joy in attending remedial courses, viewing education as the gateway to a brighter future. « I aspire to enter the field of administration, I have a passion for finance, diplomacy, and political science. I also dream of venturing into politics to instigate positive change in my community. »

Thanks to ECHO’s support, 220 children in Grade 9 and NS4 from regions influenced by armed groups were given the opportunity to partake in remedial sessions to prepare for national exams. Nevertheless, ensuring equitable access to education despite security challenges is imperative. The Ministry of National Education and Professional Training, in collaboration with UNICEF, actively strives to provide every child with access to education in a safe and secure environment.