Future Of Our World: Building dreams for the Youth in Haiti

Written by Vania Saintfery.
I come from Haiti, a beautiful country full of culture, pride and tradition. It is known for being the first black nation to gain its independence and the country has so much splendour and beauty to offer. However, it is stricken with poverty and malnutrition, with many families barely having enough food on the table. For most youths in Haiti, their only goal in life only revolves around going to school and hopefully getting a good job to support themselves and their families. It is very rare to find them nurturing other natural talents and capabilities such as painting, singing, drawing and dancing. For the fortunate few who are able to pursue their passion, that would only be because they are from families who are able to afford sending them for the necessary training.

My dream is to make the arts scene accessible to children who are born into poverty. They are not be able to afford a dance or art class, but some of them have incredible talents to offer to the world. I am a strong believer in the power of creativity and the impact it can have on those around us. Such abilities should not be limited to those who can afford to develop their passion, but be made available to everyone who has the talent and the desire to make an impact.

Very often, I am tempted to feel overwhelmed when thinking about my dreams for the world. I often think to myself, “It’s such a big place, what can I do to make a difference? It’s me against billions of people.” However, I do know where I can start. It’s with the people around me: my friends, my family, my co-workers, my classmates, and those I come into contact with.

My dream is to help people see their potential and what they are capable of offering to the world. In today’s society, we are constantly bombarded with messages about who we should be and what we should look like. We could be easily sucked into what the world feeds us and start believing in those lies. Here in the United States, we are constantly told to chase the ‘American Dream’ – obtain a reputable degree, land a good job and thus, be set for life. I want to inspire people to live above and beyond that, to discover what their talents and skills are – regardless of the industry we are in: arts, communications, business, health, or anything else. It is up to us to incorporate these talents into our lives in whatever way possible. I want to encourage people to not suppress their talents and abilities for the sake of finding a “good job”.  Instead, we should use these skills to help others and in doing so, find fulfilment in our lives.

As a youth, I know that we, the youths, can impact the world tremendously. We are energetic, vibrant, risk-takers and thrill-seekers. With these traits, there are no limits to what we could do. We will make a way out of no way. If the front door is closed, we will find a way to get in through the back door (metaphorically speaking of course). I think youths are great at building our visions and dreams for the future, which would in turn, help in moving our society forward.

My vision to impact the rest of the world is to encourage youths to follow their own dreams and not be bogged down by society’s expectations. Personally, I want to live by example and show them that life is not simply about getting a good job and a hefty paycheck; we can aspire to be so much more. In the near future, I also plan to engage in more collaborations with Haitians Building Unity (HBU) and Life Unlimited Charities (LUC), two organizations whose efforts are geared towards helping the people of Haiti.