A commitment to the Christian education of young children in Haiti is a true blessing this side of Heaven. It’s a commitment that makes a difference. When Etienne and Betty first started the ministry in 1974, only 20% of Haitian children between the ages of 6 and 14 attended school. Few graduated, and higher education was only for the elite few. Due to the efforts of Christians and ministries like HCM, today approximately 86% of Haitian youth attend school, with high school graduations more and more common every year. That impact has only happened because of the investment of faithful Christians.
After much prayer and advice, we’re making some changes to our Student Sponsorship Program. Moving forward, we will no longer be assigning specific children to individual sponsors. This is a big change, we know. The current unstable environment in Haiti and the volume of students with educational needs have brought about the need for this shift in giving methods. HCM has always educated more children than are sponsored, and we want all the children in our schools to benefit from sponsor support.
We are still asking donors to commit $35 per month to sponsor a child’s education. In the life of one student, here’s how those dollars are used each month:
Currently, a student sponsor receives one update per year, which is a letter from their specific child. Now, HCM will send quarterly updates about all the different children attending the program, from all the schools. You’ll receive more timely and current information to help you pray specifically for Haitian education.
This move away from sharing specific details about the children in our schools also comes from a desire to protect the privacy of the student and their family. We will no longer be sharing their full names, hometowns, or family details anywhere online.
We know there are some of our sponsors who have developed close bonds with their sponsored child, and we will do our best to continue honoring those relationships and providing updates when possible.
We hope you enjoy hearing about all the wonderful children in our education ministry and take joy from seeing their unique and beautiful faces. Thank you for praying for all of them. If you have any questions or comments, please reach out to our Sponsorship Director, Whitney, at whitney@haitianchristianmission.org
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