Why is Student Sponsorship So Important?

Years ago, when we asked [founding SMPC member] Actionnel Fleurisma how Ewo could add the most value to the schools in Bayonnais, his response was, “Sponsor more students.” So we worked with him and administrators on what that number might be. The end result is that our sponsorship goal at Ewo is to have at least 1,000 students sponsored. We haven’t reached that number yet, but we continue to try! Why 1,000? Having at least 1,000 students sponsored means more funding not only for the individual student, but collectively for the teachers, administrators, and school operations and improvements. This level of funding allows the school to be self-sufficient, freeing up resources for other projects and improvements.

Did you know that students eat their lunch while sitting on the ground as there is no cafeteria or even tables for them or eat at? Did you know that requirements have increased for education, and that high schoolers attend additional hours of learning without a classroom? Did you know that there are dreams of an internet cafe to promote small businesses for graduates of the school? Can you imagine if your child didn’t have advantages and opportunities like these?

More students sponsored means more funding for improvements like these and more.

We ask ourselves every day, “How do we get more students sponsored?” We know that we can’t do it alone. We need YOU to partner with us to help make this program successful. We need your help to continue to reach people who have a heart for Haiti. People who might want to learn more and help support our program.

Not being able to see our friends in Haiti in person has impacted our ability to serve the people of Bayonnais. We haven’t had a mission trip since the Spring of 2019! Those mission trips inspired sponsorship drives – YOU came back to the US ready to share your experiences. YOU went out into your community, telling your friends about the love that you witnessed – and this fueled others to sponsor students.

The reality is that the options for education are limited for the people in Haiti. People like Actionnel took the gift of education, dreamed big dreams, and created a school where there was none because empowering students through education makes a difference. We’ve got big dreams here at Ewo, too, and the first one is to reach our goal of 1,000 students sponsored. We hope you will lend your voice to help us get the word out about this amazing community and help us make more heroes in Haiti.

For more on SMPC’s mission work with Haiti, please visit our Serve our World page. To learn more about sponsoring a child, please visit the Ewo website or contact SMPC member Judy Jones.