In times of crisis, it's crucial to share good news. And even more so, the really great news.
A few weeks ago, we concluded “Socio-emotional support to children in contexts of insecurity in Haiti,” a two-year program that, with the support of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and the Haitian Ministry of Education (MENFP), allowed us to support educational communities in 80 schools within a profoundly challenging context. We want to pause to reflect on our journey, celebrate, express our gratitude, and share our experiences.
In these two years, more than 390 teachers have been trained in the Scholas pedagogy, and the program has reached more than 9,350 children. Over 200 teachers received direct support in their classrooms from the Scholas Haiti team, putting the tools they learned into practice and making the Scholas pedagogy a daily reality in their schools.
But numbers only tell part of the story.
They don't count the changes that began to take place. They don't count the enthusiasm of the teachers when they felt supported, listened to, and challenged to question their own practices and discover new ways of teaching.
Nor do they mention what happens when the educational environment changes and opportunities open up for children to express themselves more confidently, become enthusiastic, unleash their curiosity, and collaborate with their classmates in different ways. One of the administrators told us that several of his students, who had previously been withdrawn and often sad, began to be more cheerful, participative, and willing to interact with their classmates and teachers after participating in Scholas activities.
The numbers don't reflect the changes that families began to notice in their sons and daughters: more respect, participation in household chores, and the ability to express what they feel.
From a distance, the crisis can easily be mistaken for the reality of Haiti. But upon closer inspection, we discover all that remains alive: schools committed to education, teachers seeking new ways to support students, and children eager to create, learn, connect, and grow. In these two years, we have seen that hope is not absent from the difficulties, but rather cultivated within them, every single day.
“Education is always an act of hope that, from the present, looks to the future,” Pope Francis told us. That is why today we want to thank those who made it possible: the IDB, the authorities of the Ministry of National Education and Vocational Training (MENFP), every teacher and principal, the families, and especially the children who remind us that it is worthwhile to continue working for education in Haiti.
Although some processes end, some seeds remain.
And from Scholas Haiti, we want to continue caring for them and putting ourselves at the service of the life that continues to beat.
