For young people growing up in the midst of Haiti's poverty and insecurity, a good education is like a stone thrown into the water: It goes a long way. The young people who receive scholarships to study with the help of REWE Group also hope to help the country.
Job application training (©Kindernothilfe)
Since 2016, Kindernothilfe Haiti has been awarding study scholarships to talented graduates of Collège Véréna, which are funded by donations from REWE Group and its employees. To date, around 250 young people with good school results who cannot afford an education have benefited from the scholarship programme. The programme, which is financed by REWE Group donations, is being continued despite the current difficult situation in the country. However, the well-qualified young men and women are not only interested in their own professional advancement: They believe that a qualified education is a key to rebuilding their home country, which is characterised by poverty and violence.
One of them is Maurice Henns Dannison, who now works for Kindernothilfe's scholarship programme:
one: Maurice, how are the scholarship holders and the project doing right now?
Maurice Henns Dannison: The situation in the country is pretty difficult at the moment. This also affects our project. Some training centres have had to make changes - they are now teaching partly on site and partly online. Many of our scholarship holders are unsettled because the security situation is poor. Five young people, including one girl, had to drop out of their studies. Either they could no longer get to their place of study or they had to move. The others carry on regardless - even if it's not easy.
Despite everything, we were able to organise a workshop in May. It was about skills for everyday life and work. 16 scholarship holders took part, ten of whom were women. We also provided them with the materials they need for their training. And very importantly, we can continue to pay the tuition fees for everyone.
one: How is the project adapting to the changes in the labour market and the situation in Haiti?
Maurice Henns Dannison: We want the training to better match what the labour market currently needs. That's why we are working on establishing partnerships with local companies. This allows our scholarship holders to do internships and gain real work experience. This is important so that they can find a job later on. The process is going well. We are currently compiling a list of young people who do not yet have an internship to help them find one.
Creation of a business plan (©Kindernothilfe)
one: Does that mean that you not only pay the tuition fees, but also provide additional support?
Maurice Henns Dannison: Yes, that's right. We don't just pay the fees, we also offer additional training - for example on entrepreneurship and job application training. They help the young people to learn important skills for their future careers - regardless of whether they are employed or want to work independently.
Gabriella (©Kindernothilfe)
One of our former scholarship holders, Gabriella, is a good example: she took part in all the training courses and now works as a showroom manager at one of the largest telecommunications companies in Haiti. She told me what she liked so much about the scholarship project was that it not only supported her financially, but also took an interest in her professional and personal development and helped her to find a job.
one: In general, why is this scholarship project important - for the young people and for Haiti?
Maurice Henns Dannison: It is a great opportunity for the young people, who all come from poor families. They get access to good education. And that helps them not to slip into crime, it improves their job prospects and gives them a perspective - out of poverty.
And it's just as important for Haiti. If young people are well educated, they can help shape the country - whether as skilled workers or entrepreneurs: They are like engines of change and help to rebuild and develop the country.
Maurice Henns Dannison, who grew up in the poor neighbourhood of Delmas 2, is one of the first scholarship holders. With the help of a good education, he left the seemingly predetermined path of poverty and crime. Today, the young economist works for the scholarship programme.
We at REWE Group have been closely associated with the children of Haiti for many years. Not only the company, but also many employees contribute with their donations so that educational institutions can offer children stability, learning and a future in this country characterised by poverty and violence.
On 12 January 2010, a severe earthquake devastated the Haitian capital Port-au-Prince and other regions of the Caribbean state. Up to 300,000 people lost their lives and around 300,000 more were injured. 1.2 million people - including countless children - were left homeless. Even before the earthquake, Haiti was one of the poorest countries in the world.
Since then, REWE Group and its employees have made a significant contribution to the reconstruction of the destroyed Collège Verena school in one of the poorest neighbourhoods of Port-au-Prince with their donations. The school was rebuilt in a new and sustainable way. As a result, many children and young people have been given prospects for the future. The school currently offers space for around 1,150 children from kindergarten to 6th grade at two locations. Lessons take place despite the tense security situation.
Today, REWE Group supports former students of the collège with a scholarship programme so that they can study or complete an apprenticeship. And for over four years, our employees have been supporting the "protective school" project with their donations. It is located in an inhospitable place called Lévêque in the municipality of Cabaret, north of Port-au-Prince. Tens of thousands of people who were left homeless fled there after the earthquake. The children in Lévêque are not only exposed to extreme poverty, but also to massive risks. These include natural disasters such as earthquakes and hurricanes as well as various forms of violence. In the "protective school", around 200 children, half of whom are girls, not only receive a qualified education, they are also taught how to protect themselves from both dangers. They learn to look after themselves and each other and pass this knowledge on to their families.
The Kindernothilfe Haiti scholarship programme is part of REWE Group's aid for Haiti and thus part of the four employee donation projects. Anyone who would like to support one of the projects with a monthly salary donation of 1, 5 or 10 euros can do so using the donation form.
More answers to important questions about the four employee donation projects
can be found here
