Haiti Empowered, a nonprofit that operates schools serving more than 2,500 children in Haiti, has launched a cross-country road tour called The Empowered Road after the COVID-19 pandemic brought its traditional mission trips to a halt. The tour is a direct response to a critical funding shortfall that threatens the organization's ability to keep its schools open and continue feeding, educating, and providing healthcare to some of Haiti's most vulnerable children.
The stakes are stark. More than half of Haiti's population now faces acute hunger, with over 1.8 million people in the emergency phase requiring urgent food assistance. An estimated 253,725 young children are expected to suffer from acute malnutrition over the coming year, and one in seven Haitian children is already out of school, with nearly a million more at risk of dropping out. For the children who attend Haiti Empowered schools, the classroom is often the only place they receive a meal, a lesson, and access to healthcare. Without these schools, many would be sent home to communities where basic necessities are scarce.
The organization previously faced a similar crisis last year when it fell behind budget. In response, Haiti Empowered partnered with Creative Studio Productions, an Eagan-based creative agency, to build a campaign called Adopt a Box. The campaign allowed supporters to donate at levels ranging from $25 to $1,000, with all gifts directed to the school's operations. In just thirty days, Haiti Empowered raised $42,000, surpassing its $40,000 goal and keeping one of its schools open. Kay Larson, the organization's president, credited the campaign's success to telling the story of the children rather than simply listing needs. "Not only did we achieve our goal, but we exceeded it," Larson said.
Now the gap is back, and larger. Haiti Empowered is currently feeding children on credit and needs $150,000 just to cover rising costs this year. Food, fuel, medical supplies, transportation, and wages for the Haitian team who run the schools have all increased in price. At the same time, child sponsorship, which once made up about 75 percent of the organization's income, has dropped to roughly 47 percent. The decline is largely due to the halt in mission trips during COVID-19. For years, those trips were how most supporters first encountered Haiti Empowered, meeting the children and the Haitian team and returning home as sponsors, advocates, and long-term partners. When the trips stopped, that pipeline of new supporters largely disappeared.
With mission trips still stalled, Larson is taking a different approach. She is currently on The Empowered Road, a cross-country journey to share the mission in person and introduce a new generation of supporters to the children who depend on them. The tour runs on introductions, and Larson is asking people to connect Haiti Empowered with their churches, businesses, foundations, and community groups. Those interested in learning more or requesting a meeting can visit haitiempowered.org or refer someone they know to the organization.
The implications of this road tour extend beyond Haiti Empowered's immediate budget gap. It represents a test of whether a nonprofit can rebuild its supporter base after a global crisis severed its primary recruitment channel. If successful, the tour could serve as a model for other organizations that relied on in-person mission trips and have struggled to adapt. If it fails, the consequences are measured in closed schools, missed meals, and children left without access to education and healthcare. For Larson, the answer lies in personal connection. "They will take my little idea that I bring to them, and they'll make it so much better because they ask good questions," she said of her team. "They truly are an extension of our team. We could not do what we do without them."
