Moving Forward Together
Fiscal Year-End Matching Campaign
Dear Friends,
Meet Gedeon. He was three in September 2012 when The Children’s Academy first opened. He was one of 25 PreK children who began their school journey with us that year.
In two short years Gedeon will graduate as a member of The Children’s Academy inaugural graduating Class of 2028. Becoming a high school graduate will make him one of fewer than 5% of people in Haiti with a high school degree.
It’s amazing to think that we’re in the home stretch of realizing the dream we had back in 2011 in the wake of Haiti’s devastating earthquake: A PreK - high school in Bawosya, guided by the cooperative spirit of konbit and modeling school-based community development for the whole country. We can’t thank you enough for helping make this possible!
LEARNING FOR LIFE
What makes The Children’s Academy different is its holistic approach to education. As a part of his schooling, Gedeon has learned to barber, a skilled trade that will enable him to contribute to his family and community. He has also developed his skills as an artist, practiced sustainable gardening techniques, and learned how to use computers. All this is in addition to learning Haiti’s National Curriculum through student-centered educational techniques in Haitian Creole, French, and English.
Meanwhile, his mom–Natacha–has supported Gedeon’s education and grown herself by contributing service hours at the school each week and participating in Community Change Groups where parents and older students learn about women’s and children’s rights, positive discipline, and how to combat child servitude (restavèk). In this way, Gedeon–and his mom–are experiencing much more than a traditional education. They’re learning for life–and helping to develop their community in the process.
MOVING FORWARD TOGETHER
The challenges facing Haiti are immense and ongoing. But Gedeon reminds us why we must keep pushing forward. In the coming year we will expand vocational programs, strengthen mental health services, and cultivate spaces where children can begin to build futures that the world tells them are impossible.
But we can’t do it alone. Will you stand with us?
Your partnership makes all the difference. Every dollar funds a scholarship, supports a teacher, and tells a student, "You belong. You matter. Your future is worth believing in."
Left: Gedeon in 2012 as a Children's Academy preschooler.
Right: Gedeon as a high schooler with his mom, Natacha.
Please consider a special gift to support Gedeon and the over 1700 students like him at The Children’s Academy and our Partner Schools. Now is the time as:
● Your gift will be matched thanks to a generous donor up to $50,000 and,
● 100% of your gift will go to programs. Thanks to the generosity of the major donors who make up The Circle Fund, Haiti Partners Admin and Fundraising costs are covered!
On behalf of Gedeon, his mother, our teachers, and all the families and communities we serve, thank you. You are investing in changemakers and building communities that refuse to be defined by crisis.
With deep gratitude and unwavering determination,
Merline & John Engle
Haiti Partners Co-Directors
PS: Please consider a generous donation today to help us reach our $100K goal. Your gift will assure that we finish the fiscal year strong and begin the coming school year on a solid financial footing. Don’t forget: Through June 30, YOUR GIFT WILL BE MATCHED! Thank you!
What your MATCHED
DONATION can do:
$40 x 2 = 2 months scholarship for a student
$100 x 2 = 4 months garden assistance for parents
$250 x 2 = 2 months support for a teacher
$480 x 2 = 2 full years scholarship for a student
Want to make a Stock, QCD, or Legacy gift? Click here
Frequently asked questions
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Hear Natacha's story - Gedeon's mother
Your voice can be the difference
Helping student and families in Haiti requires a broad community of support. We invite you to create a Facebook fundraiser for Haiti Partners. It takes just a few minutes and your endorsement is a powerful way to bring new people to the cause. The average fundraiser on Facebook raises $150, which is enough to send a child to a Haiti Partners school for nearly 4 months.
Thank you to our generous supporters!
$5000+
Bryn Mawr Presbyterian Church, Central Presbyterian Church
$1000+
Stanley and Judith Ott, Teresa & Rick Ehlert, Phillip Long, Daniel & Susana Rohrer
$500+
$250+