education Archives - Cross International

Haiti 2021 Earthquake Relief

August 23, 2021 by Cross International

Help restavek children who lost their homes and their schools

The earthquake that struck southwestern Haiti on Saturday, August 14 is still making its impact felt. At 7.2 on the Richter scale, it was twice as powerful as the deadly 2010 quake that leveled Port-au-Prince a decade earlier.

It appears that many fewer lives will be lost since it occurred in such a remote area. However, because it was such a remote quake – 80 miles west of Port-au-Prince – the rebuilding and recovery will be more challenging.

At Cross International, we have been called to serve in Haiti for more than two decades. We remember the massive suffering of the 2010 earthquake. It was personal for us. This latest quake is no less personal. We not only have projects in Haiti. We have friends who live there. We have a Haiti field office. So, when there is a disaster of this magnitude, we mobilize immediately to send food, water, tarps and other urgent supplies to wherever it’s needed.

For this earthquake, we were told that our Cross-supported restavek schools (known locally as MEBSH) were seriously impacted.

MEBSH is a long-standing partner of Cross International. Of the 14 MEBSH schools located in the southern peninsula, six were completely destroyed – in Bazelais, Bompas Pesmel, Lariviere Tiburon, Chardonniere and Camp-Perin. All were located near the epicenter.

Learn more about our work with MEBSH

To date, 490 MEBSH students and family members have been impacted by the earthquake. They not only lost their schools. They also lost their homes and are currently receiving support. And the situation became even worse following the earthquake, as Tropical Storm Grace dumped 10 inches of rain onto Haiti. It pelted people huddling in fields who had no homes and no protection from the elements. These families are in desperate need of food and shelter. That is why our field office is so vital to our ministry.

“Our Haiti field office enables us to respond quickly and nimbly to disaster situations such as the Haiti earthquake,” says Kelly Miller, President and CEO of Cross International. “

We have another Cross-sponsored Christian school system in the northern part of Haiti who, once they heard about their brothers and sisters in need, immediately offered to donate some of their funds to MEBSH, in order to purchase desperately-needed food staples, tarps and other essential items.”

“It’s a wonderful partnership, and a prime example of Christian partners working together, to help one another. The Body of Christ working as one.”

Kelly goes on to explain how Cross’ entire network of in-country church leaders provides the ministry’s eyes, hands and feet on the ground. “All of our in-country partners are helping each other,” he says. “They have been reporting details about the areas of greatest need and are paving the way for even more relief shipments to come. They provide more boots on the ground, and they ultimately implement many of the relief efforts we want to accomplish.”

“Our role is to empower our partners with training, financial and material resources, and the leadership development needed to address specific situations. This is certainly the case when we are responding to our MEBSH schools which have been so devastated by the quake.”

The Haiti earthquake truly showed no mercy when it struck on Saturday morning and turned thousands of structures into rubble. It targeted the poorest schools in the poorest part of the country and leveled them to the ground. But the people of Haiti will survive. Their faith is strong. With the love of Christ guiding us, compassionate relief can lead to long-term healing.

We will continue to work through the MEBSH leaders to identify priority needs and to determine how and when to become involved. We are only in the early recovery stages, where our brothers and sisters are going through a traumatic period:

OUR PROCESS FOR RESTORING COMMUNITIES

PHASE ONE: EMERGENCY RESPONSE AND EARLY RECOVERY

Prayerfully, we want to help those who have been impacted find stability in their lives as soon as possible. To do this, we will try to restore the basics in their lives and get their children back to school. (Note: School starts on September 6.) To this end, church services and classes may be held under a tent or some other temporary structure, but this is an important start.

For children who are restavek or who are in danger of becoming restavek, the restoration of the destroyed MEBSH schools in southwestern Haiti is vital to restoring hope – as well as meeting essential needs. Unlike so many other things in these children’s lives, the schools are a loving and dependable foundation for these often-forgotten children. They also provide the nutrition students can rely on, and the compassion found in the classrooms provides hope for a better future.

With six of these schools completely destroyed by the destructive power of the recent earthquake, many of Haiti’s children and their families are more vulnerable and more at risk than ever. They need to know that we care and are working in Christ’s name to bring rapid relief.

Your generous gift will be used for the Haiti Emergency Relief Fund through June 30, 2022, the close of our ministry’s fiscal year. In the event that more funds are raised than needed to fully fund the initiative, the excess funds, if any, will be used to meet the most urgent needs of the ministry and may be used in the following fiscal year.

A Chance to Go to School in Africa

July 22, 2021 by Cross International

Education Problems in Africa

At 12 years old, Ayana dreamed of completing her education in Malawi, Africa. Sadly, when her parents divorced, Ayana’s mother was no longer able to pay her school fees. The family was struggling so badly that they would go from relative to relative in search of food and shelter. The inability to pay school fees is one of the most common education problems in Africa. This financial barrier often prevents children from impoverished families like Ayana’s from receiving a quality education. This cycle can keep families in poverty for generations.

Helping Children Go to School in Africa

Through the generous support of friends like you, Cross International is partnering with organizations in Africa that are reaching out to poor families like Ayana’s. In Malawi, that partner is the Ambuya Development Center (ADC). Ayana’s mother reached out and, thanks to supporters like you, Ayana was able to enroll in ADC’s program. Her dream of continuing her education is now coming true!

Returning to the African Classroom

With support for her school fees, Ayana is now able to stay in school. Not only that, she gets to enjoy a hot lunch every day! She enjoys the ADC program, playing with the other children, and making friends. She’s also learning all about the Gospel of Jesus Christ! Now that her dream of an education in Africa is coming true, Ayana now has a new dream—to become a doctor so that she can help the sick.

Thank you for blessing children like Ayana with the quality education that can help lift them, and their families, out of poverty. Your support of Cross International has made it possible for Ayana to pursue her dreams. Thank you for giving her hope!

If you want to help more vulnerable children like Ayana stay in school and open the door to escape poverty, please visit our Thriving Kids page and support this cause.

School is more than a place to learn, it’s a haven of hope

October 9, 2020 by Cross International

Education partner spotlight:

Mission Evangelique Baptiste du Sud d’Haiti

For many of the world’s most vulnerable children, going to school is the key to unlocking life opportunities that can break their community’s cycle of poverty. The challenges of poverty are interrelated, that’s why our educational initiatives are multi-faceted. Together with our ministry partners, our school programs seek not only to provide a place to learn, but to serve as a pillar in a community that offers a stable food supply, a community shelter for emergencies, and a space to find good counsel, learn about the gospel, and find hope.

Our philosophy is that an integrated Christian education is more than teaching children about Jesus and His ministry, it is laying the groundwork for a commitment to lifelong learning and service. In the southern peninsula of Haiti, vulnerable children find hope for long-term and sustained impact at Cross International partner Mission Evangelique Baptiste du Sud d’Haiti

(MEBSH), a network of Haitian evangelical churches with schools that target “restavek” children –children stuck in a generational system of slavery –and those at risk of becoming restavek.

Gospel-centered learning forms the backbone for transforming a restavek child’s life from pain and abuse into a life of hope and purpose. Lives that will give back to the community and contribute to creating a better, healthier, happier Haiti. When daily nourishment, education, and a relationship with Christ combine, hope can grow. Our education programs include:

Primary school for restavek
Primary school education to restavek and older children who are too old to enroll into primary school. Approximately two-thirds of the students are restavek in this 100% fully-funded CI school program. Within this program, our partners provide meals, support, and mentorship to children to attend school.
Primary school/elementary school services
School operations are funded so children can attend for free or nearly for free. Most of these programs include a nutritional program or food assistance.
Educational infrastructure support
Beyond just funding tuition, Cross supports educational programs in other ways – helping with stocking libraries, new technology in classrooms, repair and construction of school buildings, and paying staff salaries.
Supporting higher learning
Cross increasingly shifts our focus to include how students are best served after completing primary education, like technical/vocational training.
Providing for unique educational needs
To support the full spectrum of educational needs to those facing the challenges of systemic poverty, we support unconventional and unique situations. Some of these have included a night school program for teens who must work during the day, providing support for children with disabilities, support for court-appointed orphans, and adult literacy programs.

Right now, COVID-19 threatens the stability that restavek children have found at MEBSH by impacting access to school and in turn, availability of food and hygiene education. Without food support for their families, many restavek children are at risk of homelessness. Without prevention training and improved sanitation, families are likely to get sick.

In a powerful example of collaboration between Cross and our partners, we are providing emergency hygiene training, food, and technology to communities we serve. In response to COVID-19, 54,000 fortified rice meals have been distributed to 14 MEBSH centers to 500 children and their households. In order to execute distribution, MEBSH modified the school day to comply with Haitian law to limit the congregating of ten or more people. Families have been taught how to create their own ‘Tippy Tap,’ a low-tech hand washing device, and other essential WASH practices to better combat COVID-19.

Education has the power to transform lives from the inside out. We are so thankful for partnerships like MEBSH, and the ongoing support from our generous donors to our Thriving Kids education ministry. Together we can give children a strong education, the good news of the gospel, and the opportunity for a purposeful life now and for future generations.

Following Jesus’ example in teaching and compassion

August 20, 2020 by Cross International

Jesus was not only a carpenter, He was a teacher. In the gospels, Jesus was called “teacher” more than 60 times. This was the title used by both the disciples and the crowds. John 13:13 records Jesus’ own reference to Himself as teacher when He said, “You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord’, and rightly so, for that is what I am” (NIV). The world was His classroom, and Jesus spent His life teaching others about the nature of God, how to hear His Father’s voice, and to love one another.

We also know Jesus loves children. In the gospels, we see His willingness to devote time to them, His recognition of their importance in the Kingdom of God, and His passion for protecting them from harm. As a great teacher, His attention to children was remarkable and surprised many.

Jesus’ example in His love for learning and His tenderness towards children is at the heart of our education initiatives. We believe that it is our responsibility as followers of Christ to meet the multifaceted needs of those struggling to survive poverty — including their need for education — and we work with ministry partners around the world who share in this passion.

Our Christ-based school programs fill more than a child’s mind with knowledge. We nourish their bodies, hearts, and souls in a place that gives them freedom to learn, grow, rest, and dream. By meeting the basic needs of vulnerable children while teaching hope in Jesus’ name, we create a foundation for a life committed to learning and service.

The book of Proverbs encourages us to value learning and understanding. In Proverbs 22:6, we see how learning impacts generations. “Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it” (NIV). Education is transformative, and our programs have a truly long-term and sustained impact on families and communities. Children with a rich foundation of learning have better options for employment and are better able to lead financially stable families and strong communities when they grow up. When adults can support their families, their children are more likely to attend school … and the multi-generational impact can continue.

Together with our ministry partners, we’ve witnessed Jesus use the power of education to transform lives from the inside out. We’ve watched families shape their own opportunities and find hope for the future. Join us as we follow the example of our Great Teacher Jesus to love vulnerable children around the world by supporting education and the Thriving Kids ministry.

Our Philosophy: The gift of education to transform lives

August 11, 2020 by Cross International

In everything we do, we seek to serve the whole person: physically, mentally, socially, and spiritually. Whether addressing the needs of a vulnerable child, the challenges facing a family in poverty, or the issues preventing a community from thriving, we deal with specific problems with the understanding that each issue interacts with and impacts others. In this series, we focus on one specific facet of the complex challenges facing those in need around the world.

For most of us, going to school was something to be endured while we waited for life to “truly begin”. But for many of the world’s most vulnerable children, going to school is the key to unlocking life opportunities that can break their community’s cycle of poverty. Education is powerful; so powerful it can transform lives for generations.

Education has a long-term and sustained impact on a family and community. It’s the foundation for getting a job. Jobs fight the root causes of poverty by providing families consistent income. When adults can support their families, their children are more likely to attend school. Children with a rich foundation of learning have better options for employment and are better able to lead financially stable families and strong communities when they grow up. In this way, a strong education has the power to accelerate generations out of poverty.

According to a report from the UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS), about 263 million youth worldwide (or one in every five) are not in school — a figure that has barely changed over the past five years. The UIS figures confirm that across sub-Saharan Africa, one in every three youths are out of school — with girls more likely to be excluded than boys. For every 100 boys of primary school age who are out of school, there are 123 girls denied the right to education.

At Cross International, we understand the challenges of poverty are interrelated. When a child is sick, hungry, or worried about where to sleep, focus — and hope — is lost. That’s why our educational initiatives are multi-faceted. Together with our ministry partners, our school programs seek not only to provide a place to learn, but to serve as a pillar in a community that offers a stable food supply, a community shelter for emergencies, and a space to find good counsel, learn about the gospel, and find hope. An integrated Christian education is more than teaching children about Jesus and His ministry, it is laying the groundwork for a commitment to life-long learning and service.

To provide the greatest impact, we often focus most heavily on providing educational opportunities to those who would otherwise have no option. For example, over-aged children who are too old to enroll in primary school, but who still need a primary school education. By focusing on those who are the most marginalized, we can offer education to those who have no alternatives available to them. Our educational programs offer a full spectrum of options, including primary and elementary school services, educational infrastructure support, higher learning opportunities and vocational training. We also provide for unique needs like night school, support for children with disabilities, and adult literacy programs.

We believe children shouldn’t just survive, they should thrive. These educational efforts have a unique power to transform lives from the inside out. Education is the key to equipping children and families with the intellectual tools they need to shape innovative solutions and find opportunities of their own. While a lack of education and illiteracy can contribute heavily to the generational cycle of poverty, education can have an equal and opposite positive impact on generations.

By giving children a strong education and the hope of the gospel, you give them the opportunity for stable families and strong communities as they grow up. Your prayers and partnership in our Thriving Kids ministry makes that possible. Will you join us in offering education to those in need so they can transform their lives and communities for His glory?