Thank you for your faithful partnership with Mission-Haiti. Because of your support, thousands of children are receiving an education, daily meals, and the opportunity to grow into strong leaders within their communities. We are writing to share an important update regarding our student sponsorship program.

Beginning this year, the annual sponsorship amount will increase. We do not take changes like this lightly. The last time we adjusted the sponsorship amount was in 2023. Since then, the reality on the ground in Haiti has changed dramatically, and the previous sponsorship amount no longer covers the same level of care.

Over the past several years, Haiti has experienced sustained and severe inflation, averaging 25–35% annually. This has significantly impacted the cost of nearly everything required to care for and educate a child:

• Food prices have risen sharply, with some staple items increasing by 40–50% or more

• Fuel costs have surged, affecting transportation, supply delivery, and daily operations

• Basic goods and services, from school supplies to staff support, have all increased 

This adjustment allows us to continue providing:

• Quality Christian education

• Daily meals

• Medical care

• Essential school supplies

• Support for our Haitian teachers and staff

• Safe, consistent environments for learning and growth

It also helps ensure that we can continue employing and fairly supporting our 300+ Haitian staff members. None of this increase goes toward employee salaries in the United States. This change is about preserving the quality, consistency, and dignity of care for every child you support. The updated sponsorship amount for your student’s education will be sent to you in June.

Thank you for continuing to change lives each and every day through your partnership in this program.

FAQ's:

1. Why is the sponsorship amount increasing?

-Haiti has experienced extreme inflation (25–35% annually), impacting food, fuel, supplies, and staff costs.

2. Why now?

-The last increase was in 2023. Costs have continued rising rapidly.

3. How much is the increase?

-From $200/year to $336/year (~$11/month increase).

4. Where does the money go?

Meals, education, supplies, facilities, and staff.

5. Are you more expensive than others?

No. Many organizations charge $40–$45/month.

6. Can I stay at the old rate?

Contact us—we will work with you.

7. What if the new rate doesn’t fit my current budget?

We will would love to talk with you about that and find a way forward.

8. Is this funding expansion?

No. It maintains current quality and operations.

9. How does this impact staff?

Ensures fair wages and stability.

10. Why is sponsorship important now?

Haiti is facing food insecurity and economic instability.

11. Do the families of the students pay anything?

Yes, every student pays a small fee that we believe they can pay without making a big sacrifice. In addition, there are many expenses (feeding them in the morning, clothing accessories, etc.) that the parents are responsible for.

Mission-Haiti partners with 9 schools in the mountain that are fully funded and operated by Mission-Haiti, including:

• Lines Elementary and High School
• Bethanie Elementary School
• Jabouin Elementary and High School
• Toussaint Elementary and High School
• Frederique Elementary School
• Du Coin Elementary and High School
• Madame Pierre Elementary School
• EMHAG Elementary School
• Jean Alexis Kuislin Christian Academy

In all of these schools, every child is part of the sponsorship program. They make up about half the students in the program.

In addition to these 9 schools, Mission-Haiti supports about 12 other schools. Mission-Haiti provides sponsorship opportunities students between preschool and 13th grade and will follow students through a University or vocational school program.

Altogether, the Mission-Haiti school sponsorship program funds more than 2,800 students.

What school the student goes to will determine how the money is used within the program. If the child you sponsor goes to one of the 9 Mission-Haiti schools, the entire amount is used at that school to pay teachers and provide necessary school materials. We also give these students a daily meal provided by a humanitarian-aid organization, such as Kids Against Hunger or Orphan Grain Train.

Tuition- For students enrolled in one of the private schools, part of your sponsorship money pays tuition for that student.

Uniforms and a Meal - Students who go to government-funded schools that don’t require as much tuition, Mission-Haiti works to provide these students with uniforms and a daily meal.

School Supplies - Mission-Haiti strives to supply every student in the program with a backpack and essential school materials every year. As you can imagine, with 2,800+ students, this is a huge undertaking. But it’s a necessity for many of these students.

Textbooks - We also try to provide students with as many required textbooks as possible. In Haiti, you are required to purchase all of your own books. Many students may not be able to afford them, yet still attend classes. However, they will not be able to participate in lessons due to a lack of materials. Mission-Haiti is always working on purchasing and lending out enough books. Our goal is to provide each student in the sponsorship program with at least 5 of the required books for the class. However, we are still obtaining the resources necessary to reach this goal.

Health Care - With your sponsorship, your student is able to be seen free of charge at the Lanmou San Fin Medical Clinic. 

In addition, your sponsorship may go toward shipping and processing, and sometimes obtaining additional backpacks and shoes for our annual distribution. A small portion also helps with administrative costs.

All students in the program are expected to attend school regularly. It is important that the students take an ownership in this manner and take initiative in their education. We require that they remain in good standing with their grades, conduct, and attendance.

We work with the directors of the schools to find students. 

In the event that a student abandons school, we’ll talk with the school director to determine who is in the most need at that school. To be considered, students must also demonstrate a desire to grow in their education.

Unfortunately, with a program as big as ours, students abandoning school is an unavoidable reality. A student may abandon school for many reasons. Some common reasons we hear are:

• to move to a school outside our program (oftentimes to Port-au-Prince)
• leaving school to tend the garden and sell at market
• disregard for education

The latter two are more common in the mountainous areas we work with, where the poverty is greater. 

If a student abandons school, it’s Mission-Haiti policy that he or she will not be let back into the program. Exceptions are made in certain circumstances, such as loss of a parent or other hardship. 

If the student you sponsor abandons school, the school’s director will inform us. Then, we will contact you directly and relay what we know about the situation. We have many students awaiting sponsorship, and will suggest that you take on another in place of your first student. We appreciate your gracious understanding in times like these.

What makes Mission-Haiti’s sponsorship program so special is the personal contact you can have with your student. In addition to receiving an updated photo of your sponsor student every year, you can also send letters to your student. Students love to learn about what your life is like, your family, your pets, etc. We encourage you to send photos of your life! We only ask that you please not make promises of any kind. Letters can be sent to PO Box 2175, Sioux Falls, SD 57101, and be labeled with your students name and ID.

Due to lack of storage space in the US and in Haiti, we discourage sending packaged gifts. If you find yourself on one of Mission-Haiti’s short-term missions trips, or know someone that will be traveling, you are more than welcome to bring any items then! We will make every attempt for you to meet your sponsor student.

In lieu of mailing gifts, we have gift options available for purchase to be delivered in Haiti. We hope that by moving towards these gifts options, we can do a better job stimulating the Haitian economy. We encourage you to purchase gifts at the time of re-sponsorship for ease of purchase and delivery on our end. If you are purchasing outside of that time, please go to the "donate" tab, select the appropriate amount, click "other" and please list your students ID and which gift you have chosen. From there, we will purchase this item in Haiti and deliver it to your student. We will do what we can to get a photo of your student with their gift so that you can be a part of it! 

~Rice and Beans (1month supply, $80)

~Goat ($80)

~Bible ($15)

~Water Bottle ($30)

~Solar Lantern ($50)

~Solar Kit ($600)

For any questions regarding gifts, letters, or anything regarding sponsorship please contact breanna@mission-haiti.org.

We are continually improving the sponsorship program, including academic growth and accountability for the students along with better sponsor-student correspondence. This includes providing accurate grade information. 

In addition, we have implemented a policy that will not allow students to fail the same grade two years in a row. Doing so will now result in loss of sponsorship (with some exceptions). We hope to correspond with sponsors, letting them know the pass or fail status of their student for the year prior.

The sponsorship program is a huge part of what we do at Mission-Haiti, and is our largest ministry to this area of Haiti. We are trying to improve in every way we can to make this the most effective and God-glorifying program we can. We hope you know that your sponsorship does make a difference in these students’ lives. You’re offering them opportunities that may not otherwise exist without your support. On behalf of Mission-Haiti and the students in the program, we thank you for your participation. It really is life changing.

For any questions regarding sponsorship- gifts, letters, payments, student info, or anything else sponsorship related please contact breanna@mission-haiti.org.