Send a Child to School for Less Than $1 a Day
On the island of La Gonâve, Haiti, hundreds of children grow up without ever setting foot in a classroom. They aren’t behind in school — they’ve never been in school. At Greater Good Haiti we’re changing that, one child at a time.
Since 2011, our school — Lèkol Pi Gwo Byen — has taken children aged 9 to 12 who have never had any formal education and given them everything they need to succeed: teachers who know them by name, books and supplies, a school uniform, shoes, a backpack, and a hot meal every day.
And it works. After tweaking our curriculum to teach in both Haitian Creole and French, our students now pass the national matriculation exam at a rate of 100% — a figure that is virtually unheard of in Haiti, where the national pass rate hovers around 20%.
The Two Scholarship Programs
Supporting us with just $1 per day covers a child’s entire year of education in our three-level accelerated program, which takes children from zero literacy through to the equivalent of sixth grade. This includes:
Teacher salary (class sizes are capped at just 12 students per teacher), all books, notebooks, pencils and supplies, a school uniform with polo shirt and backpack, shoes, and a daily hot lunch through our nutrition program. Every child receives the same care, the same materials, and the same opportunity.
Elementary Scholarship — approximately $225 per year
Once our students pass the national matriculation exam, they choose a secondary school in their community. We pay for everything: full tuition, all textbooks, and continued support through 12th grade. Currently, we support approximately 126 students in secondary schools, and our graduates consistently rank in the top five of their classes.
We also support around 11 students in university and vocational programs, and our adult literacy program has enabled 14 adults to pass the matriculation exam and continue their education.
Secondary School Scholarship — approximately $500 per year
Impact by the Numbers
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~250
people currently supported in education
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100%
matriculation exam pass rate
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12
students per class (max)
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Top 5
where our graduates rank in their secondary schools
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What Makes Our Approach Different
Full support, no gaps: We learned the hard way that partial scholarships lead to dropouts. We now provide everything a student needs so that poverty is never the reason a child stops learning.
Small class sizes:
With no more than 12 children per teacher, every student has a genuine relationship with the adult guiding their learning. No child falls through the cracks.
Nutrition:
With no more than 12 children per teacher, every student has a genuine relationship with the adult guiding their learning. No child falls through the cracks.
Bilingual curriculum:
We teach in both Haitian Creole and French, because Haiti’s national matriculation exam is in French. By introducing French earlier and teaching maths and science in French, we prepare our students for the exam — and for life beyond our school.
Dignity and respect
We do not use corporal punishment. We treat every student with the same respect we show every adult. This simple principle has influenced schools across Anse-à-Galets — many have now abandoned corporal punishment and begun serving hot meals, following our example.
How to Give
Every dollar goes directly to the children and community of La Gonâve. Recurring monthly donations are especially valuable because they allow us to plan ahead and make commitments to students and families with confidence.
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$225 sponsors one child for a full year in our elementary programme.
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$19 per month is all it takes to keep a child in our school for a year. That’s around $0.60 a day.
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Description text goes here$19 per month is all it takes to keep a child in our school for a year. That’s around $0.60 a day.
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$500 sponsors one student for a full year in secondary school.