“Fanm se poto mitan”
~Haitian Proverb
The translation of this Haitian proverb is: Women are the central pillars. In Haiti, they are the central pillars of the home, where they are responsible for childcare, cooking, cleaning, organizing and stretching minimal finances as far as possible. They are the central pillars of rural society, as community activists, teachers, farmers, nurses and small business owners. Without women in Haiti, food would not get to markets and children would not get to school. Yet despite their central role in the Haitian society and economy, they are often undervalued, disrespected and abused.
We at Hands Across the Sea are committed to the education of girls and to raising up women leaders for Haiti’s future. Sponsorship enables us to strengthen the country of Haiti by educating girls and young women who would otherwise not have the opportunity to go to school.
On this International Women’s Day, we at Hands Across the Sea want to take a moment to thank the beautiful, strong, invincible women of Haiti for their contribution to the country and to our work in Haiti. Thank you to our house mothers, our teachers, our cooking staff at the school, our missionaries and our director for your commitment to children and families in Haiti!
