You are making a difference in Haiti!
A glimpse of what your sponsored child’s life is like in Haiti:
HOME LIFE
- Households generally consist of a nuclear family including adopted children and/or young relatives needing care. The elderly often live with their children and grandchildren.
- Rice and beans are the national dish, eaten with sweet potatoes, manioc, yams, corn, peas, bread, and coffee. Popular desserts include sugarcane and mangoes.
- Haiti’s landscape is dotted with homes that are distinct to each region of the country. Most houses are single-story, with two rooms and a front porch. Owners who can afford to generally paint the home in bright pastel colors or with mystic symbols on the walls.
SCHOOL AND EDUCATION
- Education brings social prestige in Haiti, and rural parents try to send their children to primary school. But, at a cost of $130 a year, more than 200,000 children cannot attend.
- In rural areas, children ride to school on donkeys or trod worn paths through Haitian mountains. Those living in cities more commonly ride motorbikes or walk with friends.
- Students wear pink or blue uniforms, and girls often wear ribbons in their braided hair.
HAITIAN CULTURE
- When entering someone else’s property, Haitians often shout out “onè” (honor), and the host is expected to reply “respè” (respect).
- In rural areas, people who meet on the road say hello many times before engaging in conversation. Men shake hands on meeting and departing, men and women kiss on the cheek.
- “Twoubadou” is a distinctive Haitian music genre in which the singer-songwriter tells a story about life and love to the accompaniment of a guitar.
COUNTRY INFO
Haiti is located on the island of Hispaniola, in the Greater Antilles islands of the Caribbean. It occupies the western three-eighths of the island, which it shares with the Dominican Republic. Although small, it is the second-most populous country in the Caribbean. Haiti’s unique cultural identity blends traditional French and African customs, mixed with sizable contributions from the Spanish and indigenous Taíno cultures. Despite having a viable tourist industry, Haiti is one of the world’s poorest countries and the poorest in the Americas region.
- Capital: Port-au-Prince
- Population: 10,711,000
- Language: French and Creole
FH IN HAITI
In 1971, the year it was founded, Food for the Hungry (FH) began working in emergency response in Haiti. In 2008, FH officially began operating in the country, responding to health needs. Since then, FH has focused efforts on community development and other areas of need to improve living conditions, including rebuilding after a major earthquake and starting an HIV/AIDS prevention and care program in Port-au-Prince.
AS A CHILD SPONSOR:
- You are increasing agricultural income and diversifying diets through the distribution of a variety of seeds, fruit and non-fruit trees, goats, guinea pigs, and rabbits.
- You are improving nutrition, hygiene, and healthy behaviors among thousands of women and caregivers of children under 5 through care groups.
- You are improving infrastructure, developing school administration capacity and teacher skills, and helping more students through after school clubs. You are also contributing to the construction of schools and distribution of school supplies.
