When armed gangs took control of Qui-Croit, WIA’s school closed overnight. Families fled, children scattered, and no one knew whether the school year could be saved.
A school year interrupted
On January 27, 2025, armed gangs took control of Qui-Croit. Our school closed overnight. Our clinic was occupied. Families fled into the mountains carrying whatever they could. One of our teachers had already been killed.
During those first days, Dr. Claude Louis stayed in constant contact with James Petit-Homme, a teacher and former WIA scholarship recipient completing his final year in agronomy, and with the school director.
Their question was simple: How do we save the school year?
Finding the children
The challenge seemed impossible. No one knew where the children had gone.
Through word of mouth, former students, parents, and community members, WIA slowly located about 100 children scattered across different communities.
A partner mission graciously opened the doors of its unused campus, giving us a place to begin again.
A result no one expected
When classes resumed, 126 students returned.
Against every expectation, they finished the school year.
Most remarkably, all 22 ninth-grade students passed Haiti’s national examination.
What this story shows
In the middle of one of Haiti’s darkest moments, these young people proved that hope can survive displacement, fear, and loss — when a community refuses to give up.
Words in Action Haiti is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit providing education, daily meals, and stability to displaced children in Haiti. Support our school and help us keep the doors open.
