In 2010, we first met an outgoing little boy named Jean Oldy. Longtime members of the Hope for Haiti community may know him better as “Tiwanito,” a nickname inspired by a popular Haitian singer and Jean Oldy’s childhood love of singing.
After the earthquake, his mother, Nadia, built the family’s home from earth, rocks, and salvaged metal. Life was hard, but Nadia made sure Jean Oldy and his five siblings went to school. They attended one of Hope for Haiti’s partner schools.
Jean Oldy excelled, and he dreamed of going to college. But he knew his family could never save enough to pay for it.
Years ago, he told our team, “I won’t fail. It gives me great joy to succeed in school and in life.”
He kept that promise. Jean Oldy graduated at the top of his high school class. With tuition and supplies covered by a Hope for Haiti scholarship, he is now in his fourth year studying Business Administration at the American University of the Caribbean.
This year, he joined our team as an Economic Development intern. While he finishes his degree, he teaches financial literacy to others, a skill that can have a tremendous impact on their lives.
Jean Oldy was never short on ambition. What he lacked was the chance to go to school. In his words:
“Hope for Haiti truly changed my life. I thank everyone who contributes to education in Haiti, especially my scholarship. I hope you will continue to contribute so other young people like me have the opportunity to go to university and have a better future.”
There are students in Haiti right now with the same drive as Jean Oldy and Fabie. Your gift today can open the door for them, and thanks to a generous $10,000 matching gift from longtime supporter and board member Tim Savage, every gift to our education program will be doubled through October 30, until we hit $20,000 for student scholarships!
Double My Gift for a Student
