Educational Needs

There is no doubt that the cycles of economic poverty in Haiti are deeply connected to the lack of quality education available to young Haitians. Some have noted that poverty is not limited to material wealth, but there also exists a "poverty of concept" or "poverty of information". How many more jobs could exist in Haiti if there were a wealth of creative new entrepreneurial ideas?

In the past, the Apparent Project tried to address the educational needs of local street youth, artisans, and their families directly through hosting a school at our workshop facility. This effort was complicated by lack of funding and lack of capable staffing. We have since come to realize that when families find gainful employment in Haiti, they almost always use their income to provide the best education available for their children. By focusing our energy on job development, we are noticing outstanding increases in the education being received by the youth in the neighborhoods we work in. If you want to support education for Haitian youth, consider hosting a jewelry party.

With a brief glance at the tag identifying the artisan who created each piece, you will find a short note indicating whether or not an individual is using their income to pay for the education of a child. It makes our artisans truly proud to be able to pay to send their children to a school of their choice!

Still, we know many kids who do not have the resources to go to school. For children who are not supported by their families or artisan incomes, we do our best to connect them to other educational missions, or, in some cases, find a sponsor to pay for their education. Our currently sponsored children are listed here.