Fighter is a 10-year-old boy who lives with his aunt, six other adults and three children intheir home in Guilleme, a community not far from ESPWA campus. Fighter was reunited with his aunt in 2019 after spending three years at ESPWA when it was an orphanage. Upon their reunification, an Overture social worker partnered with the family to develop a three-year plan to strengthen and equip them on their journey to independence and self-sufficiency. The first year was focused on stabilizing the family, ensuring the children were enrolled in a school in their community and the adults were counseled on potential opportunities for training and employment.
In the second year, Fighter’s family continued to participate in education and training, and they also qualified to participate in the building of an Overture home for their family. As with all Overture homes, the family along with community members were given training and skills to equip them to build a resilient home which withstood the 7.2 magnitude earthquake that hit Haiti in August 2021. The adults in the family received child protection training to help them become more effective caregivers, while Fighter and the other children benefited from Overture scholarships to continue their education.
In the last year and a half, Fighter and the family have settled into their new home, the family
has been able to access much-needed healthcare through Overture’s Medical Clinic at ESPWA. Fighter and the other children continue their education through the generosity of donor-funded scholarships. During this time, Overture has also assisted Fighter’s aunt in starting her own business that will supply critical income for the family and move them closer to independence.
Our Overture social worker and team will continue to work with Fighter’s family through the next year to help them access essential services within their communities implemented through our Social Support Model. With the help of donors, we’ll provide scholarships so the children can continue their education and we’ll help Fighter’s Aunt and the other adults improve their business skills so they can better provide for their family. We’re confident that one day soon, Fighter’s family will be in a position to cover the cost of tuition, contribute to the cost of their own healthcare and ultimately be role models for others in their
community, proving that the dream of independence and self-Fighter sufficiency is within reach!