The New York Times sheds light on the condition of school children in gang controlled areas

A camp for internally displaced persons in Haiti. Photo credit: The New York Times

On January 25, 2025, NY Times reporter Frances Robles, wrote an in-depth article titled “Gunfire and Bandits Make School an Impossible Dream for Haitian Children” which sheds light o the devastating impact of violence on Haiti’s school children.

According to the New York Times, an estimated 300,000 children across Haiti have stopped going to school and many schools in the country have shuttered because they are in gang-occupied areas. Others have become de facto shelters, as more than one million people- roughly 10% of the country's population- have abandoned their homes during gang takeovers of their communities.

After a surge of violence crippled Port-au-Prince, the capital, last February, nearly 15,000 households descended on government and school buildings for protection, according to UNICEF, which has also tracked the number of children not attending school. Even families whose schools remained open said they had not been able to enroll their children because they lacked money for school fees, uniforms and supplies.

Most children in Haiti attend private schools, but public schools also charge modest fees that many families whose homes and businesses were burned to the ground can no longer afford. Besides educational losses, being out of school makes children vulnerable to joining the very armed groups wreaking havoc on their lives. Experts estimate that up to half of gang members are minors.

We are deeply saddened that so many vulnerable children cannot go to school. PRODEV continues to work in partnership with other organizations to ensure that children in some very vulnerable neighborhoods have access to education through our "Lekòl Katye" initiative.

On January 20, 2025, we launched the project Kenbe Fèm "Hold Tight" supported by the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) which offers over 120 elementary school students attending a public school intensive educational support to bridge the gap created by prolonged interrupted learning. 

We are taking the opportunity once again to thank you for your support! Because of you, we continue to ensure that over 20,000 children throughout the country have access to education. When the schools are closed or the streets are unsafe, you have helped us create innovative strategies to bring education to the children. 

This work is not for the faint of heart, but we are emboldened when we know that we are not alone. Your support means everything to our children and their parents. You have made it possible for school children to access quality education by covering the costs of school materials and the free warm meals served daily. 

We pray for change, we pray for a peaceful Haiti, and we pray that soon all children will have access to a safe and enriching school environment.

Source: The New York Times