The Kids Connection Haiti (KCH) mission is to empower at-risk young adults in Haiti to become contributing, self-sufficient community members through education, life skills training, community service, mentorship, and career development.

KCH was founded to support a very specific target community: young women and men from 18 to 25 years old who grew up in extreme poverty, whether from orphanages, homelessness, child slavery situations, or coming from Haiti’s most challenging slums. KCH welcomes them all. It provides them with support for the next step in life.

Our local dedicated staff gives personal attention to each individual’s situation, character, and academic potential. Our team operates in a Christian environment and offers our students spiritual guidance based on the teachings of Jesus. We empower students to finish high school, learn a trade, or attend college. In addition to schooling, we offer life skills, career development workshops, community service, internships, housing, food, and health care. By supporting students through a holistic approach, we create life-changing opportunities. Students have a chance to create financially stable, independent futures and help rebuild Haiti.

Quote:

"When I was a KCH student, it was one of the biggest opportunities of my life where KCH served as a tool of social integration that offered me a way to education and success. Indeed, KCH is the bridge that shows me that the best way to reach your goal is education. Today, as a staff member of KCH, I'm sharing with the students the KCH philosophy based on self-engagement in the community. I will always try to do my best for the students in order to empower them through KCH's values." - Ridore, KCH social coach.

KCH founder Astrid de Vries went to Haiti for the first time in 1998. She immediately fell in love with the children she met at the orphanage where she worked. Astrid witnessed how a situation of despair can change into a situation of hope, with relatively small input. She experienced how love, a sense of family, and access to education make a world of difference. Soon enough, the seed for KCH was planted. Read Astrid’s personal story here.

Fast forward to 2009 – Astrid had moved to the US and continued to support some older youth from the orphanage. They were young adults who wanted to create a stable future but didn’t have the means to do so. She helped them finish school and start a micro business. These young men and women were the inspiration for Kids Connection Haiti.

Today the urgency of KCH’s mission is stronger then ever, KCH is needed. As Haiti continues to recovers from several natural disasters, it has also experienced growing political and social unrest, increased amid a deep economic crisis, worsening insecurity, resurgent gang violence, corruption and poor handling of the COVID-19 epidemic.

Since the program was founded, over a hundred young adults have gone through our doors. 99% of them graduated with a diploma, and 92% found paid employment – an incredible high success rate in a country where unemployment hovers around 60%. We have increased our field staff and diversified our local partnerships with community-based organizations.

In 2021-22 despite overwhelming challenges, we carried forward. KCH provided schooling and support for 55 young men and women. We ensured continuity of all our program despite school closures, and we supported access to remote learning for our students. With funding from our generous donors and friends, and help from hard-working volunteers, KCH plans to grow itscurrent program and to host more students in 2022-23.