The Mission of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Borders in Haiti, since its creation, has always helped many children in each of the communities where our churches are located.
Noting a number of children growing up without going to school with parents who are often single parents who spend their entire day seven days a week looking for food for their family.
The mothers are always absent, the children grow up alone.
Aware of this situation, the Mission has done what it can to help with the education of these few children.
Education in Haiti is up to the parents, it costs a lot at whatever level.
With the unrest, schools are unable to collect the very little contribution that school officials are asking for, which helped a lot given the support received from past benefactors.
Despite the worst situation in Haiti, the school is holding up, even with many irregularities, when there is calm the schools are working. Those located in other cities work a little more regularly. In addition, teachers are employed under a one-year contract. It is obligatory according to Haitian laws.
This year, the difficulties are much greater in the Mission, and more especially in the schools because the support of benefactors is very, very rare.
The school leaders especially in Jacmel, Les Cayes, and Cap Haitien do not leave us for a second with so much complacency, the teachers who can no longer hold on. They have the costs for daily transportation, so they no longer come to work. The situation is very critical in schools.
They have not had their salary since December 2023.
We on the Council of the Mission in Haiti are in real trouble responding to them.
Our priests are also crying out for help and we are in a difficult situation. Health insurance should have been paying since January, we can no longer refuse it because it is already April, four months have already passed. We have sent all our requests to the Fund for Assistance.
Apart from all the problems in the Country, we were also worried about these shortcomings which undoubtedly created frustrations in the Mission.
I am sharing with you some photos of the different Mission schools in difficulty that are asking for support.
Thank you so much.
In Christ.
Matushka Rose