Children in Haiti are planting trees and their future.

Archdiocesan Caritas Olomouc is expanding its “Sponsorship at a Distance” project to include another school in Haiti. In the mountain region of Ti Riviere, the first 20 children have already joined the program. Here, local pupils learn not only how to read and write but also how to care for their country’s landscape, which is being devastated by deforestation and flooding. However, hundreds of other children are still waiting for donor support.

The school in the Haitian mountain region of Ti Riviere has become a new site where Archdiocesan Caritas Olomouc is developing its sponsorship project. The local school educates more than 400 children and is an important center for the life of the entire community.

So far, the first 20 children have been included in the program. Thanks to the support of donors, they will gain the opportunity to attend school regularly, as well as access to education and basic facilities. However, approximately 380 other students are still waiting for their support.

A school where children also learn to care for their country

Haiti has long suffered from extreme deforestation, soil erosion, and repeated flooding. Therefore, local schools often provide children not only with knowledge of standard subjects but also with practical habits related to caring for the landscape and their own future.

“Father Bercy Nöel recently sent photos of coconut palm planting, in which the students of the Ti Riviere school actively participated. The children are learning that even small-scale work can help their community better cope with the difficult living conditions in Haiti,” says Roman Musil, the Haiti aid coordinator for Archdiocesan Caritas Olomouc. He reminds us that “educating children is one of the most important paths to the long-term stability of the country. When we support a child’s education, we are not just helping one person. We are helping the entire community and the future of Haiti.”

Sponsorship means concrete help

The “Sponsorship at a Distance” project helps children from poor families gain the opportunity for regular school attendance. In the context of Haiti, it is not just about education itself, but often also about the basic security of food, a safer environment, and the hope for a more dignified life.

Just as newly planted palms need time and care, the children in Ti Riviere need support. Without the help of donors, school education is practically inaccessible for many families.