Education is essential for the long-term development of a country. Yet, more than half of Haiti’s population can neither read nor write. Schools are often overcrowded, poorly equipped and not easily accessible to children living in the rural areas. Poorer families often cannot afford to send their children to school.

That was already the case in Haiti’s Léogâne district even before the 12 January 2010 earthquake. Afterwards, with the destruction of 90 per cent of the city centres in the district, it became almost impossible for children to go to school. In Darbonne and the surrounding area, ten schools and a training centre run by the Episcopal Church were destroyed, leaving 1,900 students without classes.

Combining emergency relief, temporary solutions and long-term planning, Malteser International has helped these students go back to school as quickly as possible while working with the communities to create better, safer learning environments in the long run.