There is a world of great need just beyond the borders of the USA. "Three billion people - nearly half the world's population - struggle to live on less than two dollars a day." A short ninety-minute plane ride from Miami takes one to the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, Haiti.
Life in Haiti is difficult. Haitians risk their lives daily on the open seas for a chance at a better life in the Bahamas and the USA. The economy is so bad that most of the country's 8 million people live on less than $1 a day. Haitians are good hardworking people. They are not looking for a handout but they do need help.
Children need an education so they can learn to help themselves and improve their environment. Unfortunately too many Haitian children never get that opportunity. Haiti's National Department of Education acknowledges this problem. It has been reported "...more than 65% of the population over the age of ten had received no formal education at all, and only 8% of the population had received more than a primary education. Even though education is technically free in Haiti, it remains beyond the means of most Haitians who cannot afford the supplemental fees, school supplies, and uniforms required." The majority of children (80%) who receive an education in Haiti go to private church schools.
HOLD the children (Htc) partners with national church-schools in sharing the message of God's love in Jesus Christ to the needy. Htc seeks to help and encourage the work of local church-schools by connecting needy children with sponsors. Sponsorship for a child is $30 per month or $360 per year and helps provide tuition, a school uniform, daily school lunch, and books and materials. A sponsor receives an information packet that includes their child's picture and brief biographical sketch, details on the school he/she attends, and regular monthly updates from HOLD to help them pray more specifically for their child. Sponsorship payments are receipted and tax deductible.
Sponsoring a child is a great way for Christians to help change the world for good. Families, individuals, Sunday school classes, Bible study groups, and Christian school classes have sponsored 350 children in Haiti and Jamaica to date.