Helping a school leader support her most vulnerable students

Haiti | 2025 | CBPF

Haiti, Corail. At just 27 years old, Ruthe Darline Pierre is headmistress as well as a teacher at “Tipa Tipa” school in Tiplaine, in Corail commune in Haiti’s southwestern Grand’Anse department. The name means ‘step-by-step’ in Haitian creole.

Every day, she welcomes 217 children aged 3 to 16, many of whom have fled violence in Port-au-Prince with their families.

Each month, more and more children are displaced. Since February 2024, Haiti has suffered a surge in gang-related violence targeting critical infrastructure in Port-au-Prince and other cities. By June 2025 the number of people displaced across Haiti has jumped to over 1.2 million, a 24% increase from December 2024.

The displaced children in Corail face profound challenges, including psychological trauma, socioeconomic insecurity; and their education has been disrupted: Ruthe is there to support them, step-by-step.

When the Swiss NGO HEKS/EPER offered training in psychosocial support, human rights, and social cohesion, Ruthe didn’t hesitate to join.

“It was the first time I had ever discussed these topics—I learned a lot,” she said. Over four days, she deepened her understanding of children’s rights and acquired tools to better support those in emotional distress, especially the displaced kids.

HEKS/EPER’s intervention was made possible with funding from the Haiti envelope of OCHA’s Regional Humanitarian Fund for Latin America and the Caribbean, which disbursed its first funding in early 2025.

“Today, I feel better prepared to support my students and my community,” Ruthe explains. Moved by the quality of the dialogue she can now foster, she expresses her gratitude to the trainers, HEKS/EPER, and the donors of the Regional Humanitarian Fund.

Ruthe hopes additional training sessions will continue to strengthen these efforts. “This kind of initiative has a real impact. Together, we can keep building meaningful projects for vulnerable communities.”

Posted June 2025

For more information on the Regional Humanitarian Fund for Latin America and the Caribbean

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