“This is My Haiti” – Students Dream of the Future
18-year-old cousins Erol and Claudine have attended school together their whole lives. Both are sixth graders at their local rural primary school. If they pass the state exam in the fall, they will need to walk more than two hours each day to continue in the local junior high school.
Claudine excels in French, while Erol prefers music. Both have an older and a younger brother and their families work farming beans. Both can remember when Hope for Haiti began supporting their school four years ago. Without Hope for Haiti’s support of teacher salaries and school materials, neither would have been able to continue with their studies.
In the future, Erol hopes to become a welder and Claudine wants to sew for a living.
Says Claudine, “education will help us advance. If we graduate high school, we can move to an area with more opportunity.” When asked about their dreams for the future of their country, Erol reflected. “I hope Hope for Haiti’s supporters can help us change our country. Right now, we don’t even have access to a health center.
Pregnant mothers have to travel down the mountain to give birth. We want our school to continue and to advance into a junior high school. With help, Haiti can change completely.”