Dieussika keeps showing up for learning

Dieussika, 13, fled insecurity in Port-au-Prince and later took catch-up classes while living in difficult temporary conditions. UNICEF reported that the classes helped her prepare for exams and regain confidence.

What the reporting tells us

The story is hopeful without minimizing hardship. Studying through displacement requires time, materials, adult encouragement and safe places to learn. Personal determination deserves to be met with real support.

We share this as an example from UNICEF’s published reporting, not as an account of someone enrolled in Bisou Bisou Haiti. It reminds us why flexible learning opportunities and thoughtful partnerships deserve sustained attention.

Persistence should not be romanticized

A student who keeps learning amid instability shows determination. That courage deserves recognition, but it should not become an excuse for adults to accept unsafe journeys or inadequate classrooms. The goal is to reduce the obstacles, not demand endless sacrifice from children.

What can help

When reading a child’s reported experience, it is important to distinguish what the student actually said from broader conclusions about the crisis. The reporting linked below is the source of the account. Bisou Bisou Haiti does not claim the student took part in our programs, and the photograph on this page is illustrative rather than an image of that individual.

The educational consequences are cumulative. Later chapters explore what catch-up lessons, accessible teaching materials and safe spaces can—and cannot—do for learners whose routines have been interrupted.