When our own kids were still in our house and as they approached their teen years, our focus was on preparing them for the “outside” world. Preparing them to be “okay” in any situation as they head out to college and the years beyond. Helping them understand the importance of having a job, and supporting them in their quest to find their first one. McDonalds? Somewhere in the Mall? Wegmans? The choices for a part time job seemed many. Helping them “transition” into adulthood and the world outside of our house. Supporting them in what they felt “called” to do in their work after college.
Never would we have imagined at that time in our lives we would have to think about all of this process with over 70 kids in a country like Haiti! It is so different, but we want the same goal for these kids. We want them to have hope and desires for their futures just as we experienced with our kids in the USA.
Life in Haiti is a bit Different
The reality is that our kids in Haiti start out so different than the vast majority of the kids in the US. Some come to Hands and Feet Project as a true orphan without any parents or living relatives, or they come to us due to severe poverty and their family cannot support them. They have experienced trauma and adversity in ways that most of us could not understand. A part time job while you are going to school is almost an impossible opportunity. The unemployment rate is roughly 40% and nearly 60% of the population lives under the national poverty line.
In Haiti, Social Services does not allow us to keep the kids on our campus past the age of 18. The ultimate goal would be similar to what we hope for our own kids, for them to have finished high school, have a part time job and head to a level of higher learning in an area of what they feel is their passion and desire for lifetime work.
what are we doing in Haiti to prepare our kids?
We have learned many important lessons as the first few of our kids headed toward the age of 18. We are working with both our U.S. and our Haitian Social Workers, to implement programs to help the kids be more prepared to transition .
One thing we have learned is we have to start at a very early in age to teach these life skills. There are two new programs, Gap, which is our kids that are 16-18 years old and Independent Living, (formally named Transition), which is for kids 18-21. Both of these programs give us more opportunity for the kids to learn life skills. We have mentors in place to help them manage the thought process around what they want for an occupation and how to achieve it in Haiti. With the help of Life Coaches, they will learn budgeting, fine tune their skills in the home, cooking, cleaning, laundry, etc. They will learn skills around going to the market and getting the best deals on their produce, clothing, etc. They are responsible for all of their own cooking and cleaning as well as their laundry.
Along with these skills, they can earn privileges like going off campus without a caregiver or Life Coach. The kids in the Independent Living Program can have a phone as long as they have a job and can pay for it. We hire some of these kids on our campus to help with our activity center, cooking and cleaning the Big House where our administrative staff have their meals, helping with translating documents or filing, scanning and assisting our other caregivers with the younger kids. In both the Gap and Independent Living, the kids are required to do Community Service. Give back to their community or even The Hands and Feet Project!
How Did This All Come About?
This is an exciting time for our kids. A lot of praying, planning, and logistics have gone into these two programs. We have had hours of Zoom meetings with our Haitian staff and kids. We are so thankful for this technology! In July, we started with our first three girls in the Gap program and another three in the Independent Living Program. We are encouraged by what the girls along with their Life Coaches are doing. Paving the way for the future of these precious kids coming up behind them!
Please pray for these older kids along with us as we continue to prepare them for life in Haiti outside of Hands and Feet Project. We want them to be as prepared as possible in all areas of our Circle of Care: Physical, Educational, Emotional and Spiritual!
All your children shall be taught by the Lord, and great shall be the peace of your children.
Isaiah 54:13 (ESV)