11 Dec Pathways to Impact: The Power of Dignified Job Training
There is a recurring theme among the young men and women who participate in our programs. They are some of the most resilient people we have ever met. They are filled with hope for a better future and the determination to make it happen. All they need is a little encouragement and a helping hand. Roosten is just that, resilient and determined. He graduated from high school and our Elév Education Program in 2015, after that he participated in our Lavi Job Training Program. Today, he is one of our best jewelry craftsmen, and a university student, studying Law. He has great dreams for his future both in education and his career, and we cannot wait to see him achieve them.
MEET ROOSTEN
This was not always Roosten’s story. Both of his parents passed away, and most of his family lives in the Dominican Republic. He was living on his own in Cite Soliel before he became a part of the REBUILD globally family. Citi Soliel is an area known in Haiti and around the world for its gang violence. With no access to education or employment Roosten was at risk of becoming another statistic, whether it was unemployment, poverty, or participating in gang activity. Looking at him today, a successful high school graduate, with a full-time job, and a university student, you would never know this is where he came from. This is what our Lavi Job Training Program does.
It provides training and dignified employment for men and women, mothers and fathers, brothers and sisters. In a country where it is estimated that more than two-thirds of the workforce do not hold formal jobs, this program is priceless. In developing countries, there is a huge difference between having work, and being employed.
Employment means sustainability. It means consistent income, health insurance, paid vacation, and room to grow within a company. Our Job Training Program changes lives by taking away the stress of providing the most basic needs for families. It provides families with consistency, purpose, and hope.
Without the Lavi Job Training Program, Roosten would never have been able to dream bigger and pursue a college degree. He would still be fighting daily to meet his most basic needs. Today, he hopes to see change in Haiti in so many areas from employment to education. He told us “Changing Haiti will take everyone working together, and it may take many years, but it is possible.” The biggest change he hopes to see in Haiti is equal access to education and employment. We share this dream with him, and we are doing our part to make it a reality through our Job Training Program.
JOIN THE JOURNEY
Imagine if you could be a part of this life a changing transformation like Roosten’s. Imagine witnessing the joy, when someone is finally able to provide for themselves without stress. You can be a part of this, by giving to our Lavi Job Training Program. When you support our program you are providing young people, like Roosten, with more than technical skills, you are providing them with the opportunity to pursue a future that was previously out of reach.