Finding Strength Amid Haiti’s Crisis
21 March 2025Barbara*, a 15-year-old displaced by violence in Haiti, embodies resilience in the face of extraordinary hardship. Living in a displacement site since March 2024 with her mother, younger sister, and cousin, Barbara's life was upended when armed groups forced her family to flee their home in August 2023.
“In the recent days, I can say… I learned… that I am a very strong young girl. Because even with how the country’s system is developing I managed to stay alive. With God’s grace too,” Barbara reflects, her words revealing a maturity beyond her years.
“In the recent days, I can say… I learned… that I am a very strong young girl. Because even with how the country’s system is developing I managed to stay alive. With God’s grace too.”
Barabara*, 15 years old, Haiti
A Life Disrupted
Before displacement, Barbara* was a dedicated student who never missed school. Her days followed a predictable rhythm: “Wake up in the morning, bathe, and head to school… I didn’t use to miss days, I was always up to date with school tuition.” Family celebrations, particularly at Christmas, were moments of togetherness that now exist only in memory.
The night armed groups attacked her neighborhood remains vivid in Barbara’s mind. “That evening, we lay down for a bit… We had electricity, and then they cut it. As we were about to go inside, we suddenly heard gunshots right where we had been sitting.” The violence escalated quickly, with attackers setting fire to a nearby house where children were inside. Four of Barbara’s cousins were killed during this period of violence, adding to the family’s trauma.
“That evening, we lay down for a bit… We had electricity, and then they cut it. As we were about to go inside, we suddenly heard gunshots right where we had been sitting.”
Barbara, 15 years old, Haiti
Like many displaced girls, Barbara has experienced gender-based violence. While she chose not to discuss this during her interview, her mother shared that Barbara was a victim, a further trauma that compounds the challenges she faces daily.
Life at the displacement site presents constant challenges. Barbara bathes only three to four times per week due to water shortages. The site’s unsanitary conditions affect her health: “The tap water is also filthy. The site is not good at all.”
Food insecurity is another daily reality. “I eat around 10:00 or 11:00. Then around noon, I stand on the balcony and talk to a few people, and that’s about it,” she explains. Her mother, a cosmetologist without steady work, struggles to provide regular meals.
Barbara suffers from multiple health conditions, including anemia and lung problems. “I went to the hospital, and they told me that. I mostly go to the hospital for the anemia because it gives me a lot of trouble,” she says. Despite these hardships, Barbara maintains a brave face for her mother’s sake.
Perhaps most painful for Barbara is her interrupted education. “Right now, the biggest difficulty is the violence. The armed men are always shooting. Even when I can go to school, sometimes it’s closed because of the violence… I’ve lost so many days, weeks, even months just sitting at home. My school materials are ready, but sometimes, when it’s time to pay, my mom and my parents don’t have the money. So, I stay home again. Time is passing, and I’m getting older.”
“Right now, the biggest difficulty is the violence. The armed men are always shooting. Even when I can go to school, sometimes it’s closed because of the violence.”
Barbara, 15 years old, Haiti
Despite these obstacles, Barbara managed to pass her state exam through determination and self-study, a testament to her commitment to education.
Finding Inner Strength
Barbara demonstrates remarkable emotional intelligence, understanding the need to protect her mother from additional worry: “Every day I wake up and laugh. But deep down inside, I’m not really happy. I just do it to make her happy, so she doesn’t let it consume her.”
At night, when emotions surface, Barbara processes her feelings differently: “Around 10:00 PM or 11:00 PM, I’ll be listening to music or reading. I think about how I’m living, I don’t see a tomorrow. That really hurts me, it makes me cry a lot.”
Her mother remains her primary source of support. “First, I have to say it was my mom. She always talks to me and tells me not to lose hope because life isn’t over… I always listened to her. I could see the sorrow in her eyes, but she always tried to cheer me up.”
Despite everything, Barbara hasn’t abandoned her dreams. “I’d like to be a doctor tomorrow. I want to be a dance teacher, because I love dancing… Oh, a beautician because I like styling hair,” she shares.
Her reasons reveal her compassionate nature: “For the dance one, when I dance I feel like I can release my emotions. For the doctor, I would like to heal people.”
“For the dance one, when I dance I feel like I can release my emotions. For the doctor, I would like to heal people.”
Barbara, 15 years old, Haiti
Plan International’s Response
Since March 2024, Plan International has been responding to Haiti’s protection crisis, establishing three child-friendly spaces that offer safe havens with psychosocial support, recreational activities, and educational opportunities. These spaces provide crucial support for children like Barbara, creating moments of normalcy amid chaos.
As part of this response, Barbara has received multi-purpose cash assistance and dignity kits, and she participates in child-friendly space activities. “Since I’ve been with them, I’ve been happy to take part in Plan International activities, because I’m always there to talk to the children, play, etc. I like the project and the activity because they are always there when we need them.”
Plan International’s comprehensive approach includes case management to ensure vulnerable children receive necessary support, including family tracing and reunification for those separated or unaccompanied. They also support survivors of gender-based violence and provide cash transfers for protection, along with distributing hygiene and dignity kits.
Barbara’s story represents the plight of many Haitian children affected by the displacement crisis, yet her resilience shines through. “What gives me hope is the possibility of a different Haiti. As long as Haiti changes, I will feel hopeful. I will have a chance to realize my dreams and prepare for my future.”
“What gives me hope is the possibility of a different Haiti. As long as Haiti changes, I will feel hopeful. I will have a chance to realize my dreams and prepare for my future.”
Barbara*, 15 years old, Haiti
Yet despite all these challenges, Barbara continues to find reasons to move forward, embodying the strength found in even the most vulnerable situations.
*Not her real name.
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