Creating Local Jobs in Southern Haiti

Peace Winds pioneers anti-violence program designed to address gang recruitment of Haitian Youth.

Peace Winds Community Centers have become a key resource to combat increased school dropout rates and gang recruitment of Hatian youth. Peace Wind’s community centers, pictured here, are all equipped with solar electricity with batteries and inverters enabling charging of mobile phones, radios, computers. In addition to serving as short-term evacuation sites during hurricanes or storms, many community centers are strategically located close to schools and provide a venue for community led programs serving at-risk students to stay in school, and provide vocational training and mentorship for career development.

In conjunction with the Minister of Education and in close partnership with selected schools, Peace Winds has developed a two year therapeutic program targeting at-risk Haitian youth building life skills as well as structured vocational training. Peace Winds is also supporting teachers’ skill and empowerment development workshops at the community centers

Without the daily time commitment of school or the asset of a good education, many Haitian youth are at an increased risk of academic failure, truancy, emotional/behavioral problems, and gang involvement. This can lead to participation in risky behaviors such as violent and criminal activity, drug use, suicidal attempts, and unprotected sex. The problem has intensified over the last few years due to school closures following COVID-19 and political unrest in the country. 

To address the risk to Haiti’s youth, Peace Winds is working with local partners to develop a mentorship and life skills training program that will curb students’ descent into drugs and gang violence before it begins. Beginning in 2021, school guidance counselors will first help identify at-risk students, such as those who are experiencing emotional and relational difficulties in their families and at school, and are therefore more susceptible to gang recruitment. Peace Winds works with local volunteers, NGOs, and universities to provide after-school tutoring, vocational training, and mentorship programs. 

Students who participate in Peace Winds’ program will have the opportunity to use computers and printers for extra academic help, learn a trade, and develop their career goals. Ultimately, the life skills that students gain will give them a more positive outlook on their education and relationships, decreasing their susceptibility to gang recruitment and drug use. Not only does this benefit the students themselves, but the wider community will also see a decrease in negative incidents such as crime, youth violence, sexually transmitted diseases, and teen pregnancies.