Rare Opportunity in Haitian Slum

In the midst of severe poverty, approximately 70 students currently gather for classes at the Cité Soleil Wesleyan School. The school benefits from the support of World Hope International, which covers tuition and fees for children sponsored through the Hope for Children program.

Cité Soleil is a notorious slum in Haiti's capital, Port Au Prince. Extreme poverty has forced people in this neighborhood to take desperate measures, in some cases eating dirt cookies to survive! WHI has been addressing needs in Cité Soleil since 1997 by upgrading the Christian school located at the Wesleyan Church, underwriting teachers' salaries, supplementing the meal program, and sponsoring children through the Hope for Children program. WHI-Haiti also addresses the issue of HIV/AIDS through community awareness and youth-to-youth groups organized to discuss the issue on a regular basis.

The months of political unrest early in this decade caused poverty and forced influential gang members to seek refuge in the shanty town slum. Teachers at the Cité Soleil School bravely made their way to the school to help keep a semblance of routine and order in the lives of children at daily risk of shooting or kidnapping. UN soldiers cleaned out some of the gang members and life is much calmer today, but poverty still plagues the people. Jobs are non-existent and food prices have skyrocketed, but WHI continues to work in the area. Through the commitment of teachers, the investment of donors, and WHI-Haiti staff, children in Cité Soleil have some hope for a brighter future.

To learn more about our work in Haiti click here, or visit our Hope for Children page to learn how to sponsor a child.