Haiti is a poor country that has experienced many hardships like earthquakes, hurricanes, and cholera outbreaks. The document encourages learning how to help Haiti's children, who despite their difficult circumstances, are much like children everywhere in that they play, have families, and go to school, though many cannot afford to or must work to support their families. It introduces an organization called Hope for Kidz that aims to help Haitian children.
Does anyone know where Haiti is? Haiti is just south of Cuba in the Caribbean. It’s really not that far from Florida!
This is what the Haitian flag looks like. What things are the same or different about our flag here in the United States?
The county of Haiti is very beautiful. Beautiful mountains, lush rivers, and tropical plants cover much of the country. There is even a Haitian saying that calls Haiti a “pearl” among the islands in the Caribbean Sea.
Haiti hasn’t always been poor. At one time, Haiti provided more income than all the 13 US Colonies put together. Today, Haiti is the poorest country in the western hemisphere. Most of the people in Haiti live on less than $2 each day! Can you imagine paying for your home, buying all your clothes and food with only $2 each day?
Destruction. Famine.Disease. Death.These words are all too familiar in the Haitian vocabulary. Haiti suffered a massive earthquake in 2010, leaving thousands and thousands of people homeless. People are desperate to find shelter and rebuild their lives. Later that same year, Haiti was hit with a bad hurricane that destroyed many of the food and crops in Haiti. As if that wasn’t enough, an outbreak of a bad disease called Cholera made many people sick. Some even died.
Even though life is very difficult in Haiti, you would probably be amazed at how much you have in common with the children in Haiti!
Ask the kids to raise their hands if they have brothers or sisters. Maybe even ask how many siblings they have, or how many are the oldest/youngest, etc.
Kids in Haiti love to play, laugh, and hang out with their friends!
You’re here now to learn about the Bible!
Just by looking at this picture, what are some things about these kids that you both have in common?(As much as possible, let the kids come up with their own reasons. Try to let them realize on their own that these kids like to laugh and play, just like they do. Any answers are good answers. Try to engage conversation as much as possible so that the kids make their own connections.)
Raise your hand if you go to school. Some of you probably wish you didn’t have to go to school. Can you believe that only about half the children in Haiti get to go to school. And when they do go to school, their school doesn’t necessarily look like yours. Can you imagine if this building made from sticks and branches was your classroom?
Children in Haiti really WANT to go to school. They want to get an education so that they can get a good job and help support their family. Why would children in Haiti not be able to go to school? Do you have any ideas?
School in Haiti is very expensive and many families don’t have enough money to pay for their children to go to school. Some children will try to help earn money by selling fish but often they still can’t afford it.
I bet most of you have chores that you do around the house. Almost ALL kids in Haiti have chores that they do to help out their family. Some families depend on their children to help with the family business. They can’t afford to lose their help for the hours their children would be in school.
Some children need to stay home from school to help care for their little brothers and sisters. Their moms and dads can’t afford to hire a babysitter and they need the older siblings to help out.
This little girl gets to attend school because of a caring person in America who reached out to help her. They donated to a program called “Hope for Kidz”. This program helps boys and girls in Haiti who can’t afford to attend school on their own. Supporting a child in Haiti to go to school pays for them to go to school for a year, pays for their books, gives them a uniform and shoes to wear to school, and sometimes even buys them a hot lunch so they aren’t hungry!
Ask your mom and dad to help you bring in money. Ask your grandparents if they will help. Ask your friends and everyone you know! The more dollars we collect, the more we can help the children in Haiti!
