Kevin learns a trade after displacement

Kevin, a 16-year-old reported on by UNICEF, fled Port-au-Prince with his family and later joined non-formal vocational sessions in Les Cayes. The account described his interest in tiling and the confidence that comes with learning a useful skill.

What the reporting tells us

His experience broadens the meaning of education. Academic pathways are essential, but young people also benefit from practical training that can help them envision employment, entrepreneurship and new forms of independence.

We hope to include career conversations, mentorship and practical workshops among future opportunities. Kevin participated in programming reported by UNICEF and its partners; we make no claim that he was involved with Bisou Bisou Haiti.

Skills belong in the education conversation

Not every young person follows the same academic path. Vocational and non-formal education can offer useful skills and a renewed sense of agency, especially after displacement. The best programs connect training to real opportunities rather than treating a short course as a guaranteed job.

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.

A displaced family’s journey rarely ends with finding a roof. In the later chapters of this journal, we follow the harder questions: how students restart learning, how travel changes and which local supports help families regain a routine.