Every week, sometimes every day, I receive messages.

A mother is asking whether we can help her daughter return to school.
A young man wonders whether there is still a chance for him to attend university.
A family that has just arrived with nothing, asking simply: “Can you help us start again?”

As the country director of Thrive Ansanm, this is now my reality.
And behind every message, there is a story shaped by what is happening in Haiti today.
A country moving …but not by choice.

For generations, the dream was clear. If you were from my hometown of Jeremie, you would leave for Port-au-Prince. You would go to the capital to study, to find work, to build a better future. And then you would send money back home to support your parents and your community.

That was the path. Today, that story has reversed.

Because of insecurity, violence, and the growing control of armed gangs, families are now fleeing Port-au-Prince to come to Jeremie. But this time, they are not coming with dreams and plans. They are arriving with nothing.

What do the numbers tell us? While it’s difficult to pin an exact number, available data from organizations such as the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and UNICEF show the scale of this crisis. As of January 2025, IOM estimated that 1 million people have been internally displaced within Haiti. Thousands of families have left Port-au-Prince for safer regions, including the Grand’Anse department, where Jeremie is located.

In some areas, over 50% of displaced people are children. Before the crisis, about 1 in 5 children in Haiti was already out of school. Today, due to displacement and insecurity, that number is even higher in affected regions. These are not just statistics. These are the voices filling my phone, my inbox, and my heart. This is the reality we face at Thrive Ansanm. We believe in one simple truth: Education is the bridge. It is the only bridge that can give the same chance to every child, no matter where they come from or who their parents are.

“These are not just statistics. These are the voices filling my phone, my inbox, and my heart.”

In a country like Haiti, where inequality is high and opportunities are limited, education is not just important. It is everything.

Thanks to our donors, we have been able to; support dozens of children in elementary school, and also help dozens of young adults attend university and receive guidance and hope through mentorship. Each of these students represents a life changed, a future rewritten. But the truth is, the need is growing faster than we can respond. This is the part that is hardest to accept. We are overwhelmed. Not because we are not committed. Not because we are not working hard. But because the needs are now greater than our financial resources.

Every time we say yes to one child, there are many more to whom we must say “wait.” And sometimes, that “wait” means a lost year of school. Sometimes, it means giving up entirely.

This is why your support matters now more than ever. To every donor, every supporter, and every partner: you are the reason any of this is possible. Because of your generosity, a child can sit in a classroom instead of staying home. A young person can go to university instead of giving up. A family can begin again with dignity. You are not just giving money. You are giving opportunity, stability, and hope.

Education is how countries rise. The importance of education in transforming nations has been widely recognized. For example, development economist Amartya Sen has long emphasized that education expands freedom and creates real opportunities for people to shape their own future.

“If there has ever been a time to stand with Haiti’s youth, it is now! Because behind every request we receive, there is a dream waiting for a chance. And together, we can make sure that dream is not lost.”

When Etzer Emile, a former beneficiary of a scholarship and the most successful Haitian economist, talks about Haiti’s economic struggles, he keeps coming back to one powerful idea: education matters so much. In his view, it’s not just a social issue, but a clear reason behind the country’s long-term stagnation. Simply put, no nation can build a strong, productive economy without people who are properly trained and equipped with the right skills. Without that foundation, growth becomes difficult, and progress slows. This is especially true for countries in the global south. And it is deeply true for Haiti.

So we must ask, what happens to a country when its children cannot go to school, and what happens when they can? At Thrive Ansanm, we see the answer every day. We see the pain, we see the need. But we also see the potential.

A final word, the messages will keep coming. Parents will keep asking. Young people will keep hoping. And we will keep doing everything we can. But we cannot do it alone. If there has ever been a time to invest in education, if there has ever been a time to stand with Haiti’s youth, it is now!

Because behind every request we receive, there is a dream waiting for a chance. And together, we can make sure that dream is not lost.