Every year, as a new school year approaches, excitement begins to build at Angel House.
The children eagerly watch for the day when Creche Director Rose Indise Jean and Creche Manager Geomene Louis Jean head out to shop for school supplies. They can hardly contain themselves!
"When are you going to buy our new school things?" they ask.
One child summed up his anticipation perfectly by declaring, "I love the smell of the new backpacks!"
For Rose and Geomene, those moments are a reminder of why the long days of shopping, comparing prices, and stretching every dollar are so worthwhile. Every backpack, pair of shoes, notebook, and lunchbox represents another child who will walk into school prepared, confident, and ready to learn. It is one of the most hopeful events of the year, knowing the children are beginning another year of education that will help to shape their futures.
This year's shopping, however, was anything but simple.
Finding everything on their shopping list required visits to multiple stores because no single shop had all the necessary items. Backpacks, shoes, and water bottles were all in short supply, making even the process of gathering price quotes a challenge.
Like so many aspects of life in Haiti today, the cost of school supplies has risen sharply. Higher fuel prices have increased transportation and manufacturing costs, while ongoing insecurity has disrupted supply chains and left store shelves with fewer choices. Merchants must also navigate gang-controlled roads and illegal extortion fees simply to move goods through the country—costs that inevitably make their way into the price of everyday necessities. What should be a straightforward shopping trip has become a determined search for the basics every child needs to begin the school year with confidence.
Despite these challenges, Rose and Geomene remain steadfast in their commitment to the children. As Rose explains, "Our mission is to erase all differences between them and the other kids at school."
That commitment shapes every decision they make. Every backpack, pair of shoes, notebook, and lunchbox helps ensure the children arrive on the first day of class with confidence and dignity—not defined by the fact that they are orphans, but simply recognized as the precious children they are.
Preparing the school uniforms is another labor of love. The school provides the uniform fabric, but Geomene purchases the sewing notions and lovingly sews nearly every uniform herself, including all the shirts and dresses. For the pants, she partners with a local tailor who visits Angel House to take measurements before tailoring each pair to fit. It is another example of the extraordinary care that goes into helping every child begin the school year with dignity.
This year is especially meaningful for Marcelin. Having recently joined the Angel House family, he will be attending school for the very first time. Like every child at the orphanage, he needs the supplies, shoes, lunchbox, backpack, and uniform that will allow him to step into the classroom ready to learn alongside his classmates.
As the children of Angel House prepare for another year of learning and growth, your support helps make these moments possible. Rising costs continue to make providing these essentials more challenging each year, but together we can ensure that every child begins the school year equipped with everything they need.
Because in the end, this is about more than school supplies. It is about giving every child the opportunity to walk through the school gates with confidence, knowing they belong and that they are deeply loved.
Will you help us equip them for the first day?
Your gift will help provide new backpacks, shoes, lunchboxes, and uniforms for the children of Angel House—so each one can walk through the school gates prepared, confident, and ready to belong.