A Future in the Balance: Why School Still Matters in Haiti

In Haiti, school is more than pencils and paper. It’s a lifeline. A meal. A refuge. A future.

But it’s a future that far too many children never reach. According to IIEP, 10% of Haitian students drop out before completing sixth grade. By ninth grade, that number jumps to 40%. And if that doesn’t gut you, this might: 20% of children aged 6–10 aren’t even in school at all.

This is the backdrop—the hard truth—for every child we serve at Hands & Feet Project. But in the middle of that truth, something powerful is happening: education is creating change.

Change in the lives of children like Marvens. Change for the seamstresses, shoemakers, and tutors working to support this mission. Change for whole communities on the edge of collapse.

This is what hope looks like—stitched together by stubborn effort, compassionate care, and an unwavering belief that no child should be left behind.

Marvens receiving tutoring lessons

Meet Marvens: A Statistic Interrupted

Marvens was on track to drop out. He couldn’t focus. Couldn’t pass his exams. Despite encouragement from teachers and caregivers, he remained distracted, agitated, and falling behind fast. In a country where falling behind often means falling through the cracks, his future was in serious jeopardy.

But we don’t let go that easily.

Senatus, our Education Advocate, refused to watch Marvens slip into the margins. He built a team. A plan. A safety net. Marvens got a structured learning space, one-on-one tutoring support, peer mentorship from an older student named Rood, and extra oversight at night and on weekends.

What happened next was nothing short of a transformation. His test scores more than doubled. His behavior stabilized. And for the first time in a long time, Marvens isn’t falling behind. He’s moving forward with confidence, focus, and real results.

Without that support, he’d likely be another dropout. Another number in a bleak statistic. Instead, he’s proof that tailored intervention, community support, and relentless care change lives.

The Ripple Effect: When a Child Thrives, So Does the Community

This isn’t just about one boy. When Marvens succeeds, so does his community. And when you support education through Hands & Feet Project, you’re not just funding a classroom—you’re fueling a local economy.

Our Back-to-School items generate jobs. Tutors like Daniel Davance now have income that helps feed their families, even amid inflation and economic uncertainty.

“I feel amazed and very happy when my students succeed,” Daniel says. “It proves we have not worked in vain.”

Seamstresses get contracts to sew uniforms. Shoemakers craft the school shoes needed to walk on rough roads. Every supply bought, every service funded—it all adds up to dignity and stability in communities that desperately need both.

This is not charity. It’s an investment. And the return is transformational.

Daniel Davance tutoring students on Campus

Why Education Is the Battlefield

In Haiti, education isn’t a soft cause. It’s a battleground. Gangs are everywhere. Food is scarce. Violence is normal.

But a school? A school is sacred ground. It’s a space where a child finds order, purpose, and the freedom to dream. It’s one of the few places where they’re not running from something, but toward something.

And when a child makes it through school, that win echoes. It reduces inequality. Stabilizes communities. Opens doors to employment. Even lowers infant mortality and improves long-term health.

In short, when you give a child an education in Haiti, you’re not just teaching them to read. You’re rewriting their future.

Real Change Is Made in the Middle of the Mess

We won’t sugarcoat it—things are hard in Haiti. Too many children are still sitting idle while schools remain out of reach. Too many educated adults are unemployed. Too many families are one missed paycheck away from catastrophe.

But this is where our faith meets the street. This is where your giving meets our grit.

Through our Providing Families project, children like Marvens don’t get lost—they get lifted. They receive tailored care, spiritual support, academic resources, and the full weight of a team that refuses to give up.

And when they succeed, the whole system shifts.

Children in our Preserving Families Project in their school uniforms

What You Can Do: Shop with Purpose

Here’s what we’re asking: Don’t just feel something—do something.

When you purchase Project Essentials items for Back-to-School, you do more than check a box. You give a child a fighting chance. You create jobs. You feed a family. You turn a statistic around.

One backpack. One pair of shoes. One stack of books. Each item carries the weight of hope—and the power to change a life.

So shop like it matters because in Haiti, it does.

Marvens moving forward with renewed confidence and capability

The Mission Is Clear: Success for All

We’re not fighting for perfection. We’re fighting for progress—for stories like Marvens’ to become the norm, not the exception.

As Mandela said, “Education is the most powerful weapon you can use to change the world.” We believe that to our core. It’s why we don’t give up when kids fall behind. It’s why we rally tutors, mentors, and seamstresses. It’s why we ask you to stand with us.

Because when you see Marvens today—shoulders back, eyes focused, wearing his school uniform with pride—you see the future we’re fighting for.

This is how we push back against poverty, violence, and despair. This is how we build something that lasts. This is how we win.

Shop Project Essentials. Fuel the fight. And help more children like Marvens rise.