Bring gender issues into the classroom to change cultural attitudes while providing an excellent English education.

Why we care: Women in Haiti face widespread gender-based violence and sexual exploitation.

How we’re solving this: We created and implemented the only Adult English Program, which provides a quality education that assists graduates in seeking employment while changing cultural attitudes towards gender issues. 

“If we can change the worst of Haiti we can change all of Haiti.” Barbara Guillaume

We believe that incorporating gender issues into adult education classroom settings is one of the best ways to combat gender-based violence, and that including both men and women in the conversation is critical. As a result, we have created and are implementing the only Adult English Program in the poorest slums in the western hemisphere – Wharf Jeremy and Cite Soleil in Haiti. Security issues in these slums deter the work of most international NGOs. We aim to change that.

We Advance incorporates ideas of human rights, hygiene and gender-based violence within our curriculum to open up discussion between men and women. Our model is proving that access to education and information changes cultural attitudes. There are currently 800 people on our waiting list for these classes and we are looking to expand these projects.

Using a “train the trainer” technique, the English classes focus on topics such as civics, sexually transmitted diseases, and gender issues in order to provide a non-traditional, comprehensive program. We have one expatriate teacher and two full time Haitian teachers. The classes meet three times a day, three days a week.  

Of the first 48 graduates in September, over half have had job interviews and 8 have gotten their first jobs, ever. The money donated will help fund a class for six months.