Written by: Dernina
Port-au-Prince, Haiti — October 2025
Currently, Haiti continues to face relentless challenges from political instability, gang violence, and a crumbling economy. Now more than ever, with 90% of Port-au-Prince, the capital city, and some of the surrounding countryside facing gang corruption Haiti is losing essential workers who have left the city out of fear. Additionally, USAID, which was running successful iterations of its program in Haiti for 45+ years, is gone due to budget cuts in US foreign funding. Through this program, HEI has been helping seven nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) and 31 public and private healthcare facilities across southern Haiti to improve the quality of care they provide to hundreds of thousands of patients.
For young teen girls, these overlapping crises create a uniquely dangerous and disruptive reality. These include crises of school closures, reduced health services and community displacement which place their safety, education and emotional well-being at risk. Yet despite it all Haitian girls and their families in Haiti have shown extraordinary resilience like the national motto “L’union Fait La Force” translation “There is Strength in Unity.” And this resilience is often seen in small community care often steered by mothers, daughters, neighbors stepping up when the system fails.
The Barriers Are Real — But So Are the Possibilities
Social service essential programs that support Haiti are not a luxury but they are a lifeline to the Haitian people. Safety, support, and education are crucial, especially for teen girls during this national crisis. They need access to programs that support mental health, education, safety, housing, and basic income. Girls are learning from local women in the community to help come up with these solutions themselves. The women are showing courage, leadership, and teaching young girls not to depend on the government.
A small town near Port-au-Prince called Petion-Ville, the story of a mother named Marie Charles who wakes up before sunrise, cooks, cleans, and gets herself and her children ready for teaching and learning. Marie is not a formally paid teacher, social worker, or nurse, but compassion and necessity push her to help the kids in her town.
When schools in Petion-Ville struggled to reopen due to gang threats, Marie noted that many of the children, especially girls, were staying home, not receiving the basic education they would need to graduate. Determined to help, she turned the yard of her small home into an informal school. Recently, the visiting organization UNICEF donated chalks, notebooks, and pens to Marie. Although this seems like a small gesture, Marie uses these materials with the neighborhood children daily to review reading and basic math.
Marie also noted that other mothers join her sometimes in teaching and feeding the children. To help the older youth, Marie said she has reached out to a local teacher in Port-au-Prince who is offering further virtual WhatsApp educational lessons. The youth come on weekends to take these classes, and most of the youth volunteers are involved in community outreach to help with social issues in the town. Even though Marie’s “Community School” lacked desks, electricity, and even a formal name, it is now a safe and hopeful space for the neighborhood kids. Also, a symbol of what human services look like in times of scarcity. Marie said, “I can’t bring the kids back to their former school, but I can keep learning alive until help arrives.”
Partnership Over Pity — Rethinking Support for Haiti
Over the years, Haiti has faced a growing wave of crises: political instability, economic collapse, rising gang violence, and a breakdown of critical infrastructure. Additionally, security concerns make it difficult for humanitarian workers and government agencies to access the girls and families who need help the most. In the midst of these challenges, there has been a constant anchor. Haitian girls and women are leading grassroots groups, and leaders are finding solutions and building safety nets within the communities in Haiti. There is currently a humanitarian opportunity for social service organizations in the United States to collaborate. There is currently a humanitarian opportunity for social service organizations in the United States to collaborate. Unlike large-scale governmental interventions that focus primarily on security and armed forces, community-centered partnerships create long-term change—keeping local schools open, supporting emotional wellness, and rebuilding stability for girls affected by displacement and violence. Haitians know their communities best. Haitian youth leaders know what girls need to feel safe. Haitian organizations understand the local barriers, cultural contexts, and creative ways families survive with limited resources.
What True Partnership Looks Like?
A meaningful partnership centers:
- Respect for Haitian leadership
- Collaboration rooted in listening, not imposing
- Sustainability, not short-term charity
- Capacity-building, not replacement
- Equity, ensuring girls’ and women’s voices are centered
Also, Partnerships can look like:
- Training Haitian social workers, educators, and youth mentors
- Supporting trauma-informed programming for girls
- Expanding access to clean water, youth education, and maternal health
- Helping sustain virtual learning options when schools close
- Supporting community-led safe spaces for teen girls
- Providing mental health resources and crisis support
Unlike large-scale governmental interventions that focus primarily on security and armed forces, community-centered partnerships create long-term change—keeping local schools open, supporting emotional wellness, and rebuilding stability for girls affected by displacement and violence.
In the end, Haiti is not looking for pity, teen girls in Haiti are not looking to be saved. They are looking for strong US partnerships that trust local leadership because they exist. And more than ever they deserve our solidarity.