As gang violence surges across Haiti, former schools have transformed into sanctuaries for thousands displaced by conflict. One such example is the Anténor Firmin school in Hinche, where over 700 people now live amid chalkboards and cracked walls, repurposing desks as beds and classrooms as makeshift shelters.
Once a hub of learning, the school is now filled with the sounds of crying infants, clattering water containers, and anxious conversations. Among those seeking refuge is Edens Désir, a former secondary school teacher and accountant. Forced to flee his home during the March 2025 violence in Saut-d’Eau and Mirebalais, he lost everything—but not his passion for teaching.
“I walked away with nothing,” Désir says. “But I still have my knowledge, and I believe in education. It’s the only real chance these kids have.”
Now living in the school where he once studied, Désir has resumed teaching. Armed with a whiteboard and a marker, he leads informal lessons for displaced children, offering a sense of routine and purpose amid chaos.
Displacement and Daily Struggles
The rural Centre Department of Haiti, once less affected by Port-au-Prince’s gang violence, has seen an alarming rise in unrest. Crippling insecurity has displaced over 6,000 people in the region, cutting off roads, aid supplies, and basic services.
Conditions in the school-turned-shelter are grim. Clean water is scarce, food is uncertain, and sanitation is nearly nonexistent. Long queues form daily for water, and many go to sleep hungry. “There are nights I don’t eat,” Désir admits. “But I keep teaching, because the kids are here.”
Support Amid Crisis
Despite blocked roads and rampant insecurity, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and its partners have managed to reach over 800 families in 17 displacement sites, delivering essential supplies such as shelter kits, blankets, jerrycans, and hygiene materials.
In addition, the IOM is working with local authorities and host communities to improve shelter conditions, provide mental health support, and train site management teams. Efforts are also underway to relocate the most at-risk shelters to safer areas.
Education as Resistance
For Désir, teaching is more than a profession—it’s an act of defiance in the face of despair.
“When violence pushes families apart and cuts children off from education, teaching becomes resistance,” he says. “It’s my way of holding on to hope—and giving these children something to believe in.”
Though he dreams of starting over one day, Désir remains committed to his students. “I don’t know if what I’m doing is enough to change things,” he reflects, “but it gives me purpose. It breaks my heart to think I may have to leave them behind.”
