By Marissa Doiron | Executive Director
Thanks to your kind support, we were able to donate school supplies - including new backpacks, uniforms, notebooks, pens, pencils, scissors, etc. - to more than 30 Dominican and Haitian students in Baitoa. Having these important materials helps change the trajectory for children for two reasons.
First, having new supplies takes away some of the shame that can accompany poverty. Unfortunately classmates can sometimes be cruel to those who they know to be less fortunate, but having new school supplies protects vulnerable youth from bullying.
This also means that youth will be less likely to avoid attending school, keeping them engaged in academic learning. Many students drop out of school because their families are unable to afford the costs associated with sending them, which ultimately limits their opportunities later in life. Sadly, it is not unusual for boys to turn to alcohol and drugs to fill their time, while girls end up "married" to older men, and often pregnant while they are still teenagers.
Donating school supplies might seem like a small gesture, but they could be exactly what is needed to keep youth on a path that will provide them with more options in the future, and hopefully a way to end the generational poverty they were born into.
We are very grateful to all of you for fully funding this iniciative!
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