Aging-out is a term often used by organizations that offer Child Sponsorship programs. What this means is that at a certain age, typically in the teenage years or after the end of primary or secondary education, sponsored children “age-out” of their sponsorship, resulting in no longer being eligible to receive financial support from a sponsor. While in some cases this is understandable if the child has reached a stage where financial assistance is no longer required or appropriate for a variety of reasons, at Restore Haiti “aging-out” does not automatically happen to any of our students. Our sponsored students no longer continue to receive financial assistance ONLY when they or their family feel that they no longer need educational funding support or medical or nutritional assistance.
Many of our students dream of pursuing post-secondary education. Last year alone we had the largest number of students attend educational programs at a university, college or trade school than ever before. The younger generation are the future of Haiti; post-secondary education is a key component in providing Haiti with men and women who have the leadership or set of career-specific skills, knowledge, and dedication to making a change in the communities where they live and in the country of Haiti as a whole.
Post-secondary education in Haiti is even more costly than primary or high school education. Without the ongoing financial support that our post-secondary students receive, attending this level of education would often not be possible. We want to encourage and assist our students to follow their educational dreams and goals, not face them with a roadblock in the way of possibly achieving them, just because they have reached a certain age or grade level. Sometimes at the post-secondary stage of a student’s education more than one sponsor, a business, or a church (or a combination of these) will financially support a student as tuition and other expenses often increase significantly at this level of education. But we always find a way to continue to cover these costs, never opting a student out until they are ready to be more financially independent and as long as they are continuing to actively participate in our Sponsorship Program.
Restore Haiti believes that the future of generations to come, and of Haiti as a whole, will benefit from continuing to support our students for the long haul, not opting them out of our Sponsorship Program when they reach a certain age or grade level.
And by continuing to provide nutritional assistance to our post-secondary students through our free after-school Feeding Programs and funded medical care at our Medical Clinics past the typical “aging-out” stage, we are instilling an even greater feeling of hope for their future and a solid belief in their gifts, talents, and dreams. We are also helping them to acquire jobs and an income when they gain employable skills through an education beyond primary and secondary school, either with Restore Haiti or elsewhere. This in turn leads to a greater opportunity to not only create a better future for themselves, but for their family and entire community as well.
Aging-out is not a term you will ever hear us talk about at Restore Haiti as we strongly feel that the future of generations to come, and of Haiti as a whole, will benefit from continuing to support our students for the long haul.
"If it weren't for Restore Haiti, I wouldn't know how to read or write. Thanks to this noble institution, I am today a 3rd year student of Educational Sciences. God bless everyone who supports and sponsors Restore Haiti. ~ Power Slameur
For more information about sponsoring a student with us, please visit Sponsor a Student | Restore Haiti.
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