When you step into the first preschool classroom at Grace Emmanuel School, you’ll find delighted three- and four-year-olds learning their letters, singing songs, and practicing their numbers.

You might never guess that these little ones have known displacement and violence for most of their young lives. Some were barely crawling when their families fled the gang attack on Source Matelas three years ago.

And you might not guess that the energetic, joyful young woman leading the classroom has endured tremendous hardship herself. She has lost her home to gangs twice, been forced into dangerous situations on the way to work, and still passes through gang-controlled areas each week just to reach the school.

Yet she still finds a way to the front of her classroom each day.

Her name is Daphné, and she has been teaching the youngest preschool class at Grace Emmanuel School since 2021.

“Seeing the impact I can have on the children through teaching—that is what gives me strength every day,” she says.

Her trust in God and her deep love for the kids have kept this 25-year-old teacher from calling it quits through very dark days these last three years.

The day everything changed

On April 19, 2023, the day of the massacre in Source Matelas, Daphné was teaching at Grace Emmanuel School when gunfire suddenly erupted nearby.

“I heard shooting everywhere,” she remembers. “It really scared me, and the children started crying too.”

Terrified preschoolers clung to her, even as she fought to stay calm.

“All the kids were crying and holding onto us,” she says. “Even though we were scared for our own lives, we had to console them and find a way to save all of them without leaving any behind.”

Gathering her courage, Daphné took several of the children and hurried toward the road, where she found a truck traveling toward Cabaret. She climbed in with the students, hoping to get them somewhere safe.

In the chaos, Daphné spotted the parent of one of her students. It was the first of several tear-filled reunions, as she worked to connect each of her students with a parent that afternoon.

Looking back on that day now, Daphné is certain who carried her through.

“God is great and powerful,” she says. “He showed us what to do to save the children. Even though we were panicking, He helped us resolve the situation.”

Hardships that continued

But the violence did not end that day.

Daphné’s family had lived in Source Matelas, and like many others they were forced to flee during the massacre, leaving their home and belongings behind.

Later, they tried to rebuild their lives in Bercy. But in recent months, violence in the Bercy area intensified as gangs and police clashed. Civilians passing through were sometimes forced into vehicles and used as shields.

Daphné found herself caught in those moments.

“That situation was the first time I experienced something like that,” she recalls. “It was very difficult for me.”

Some nights the violence was so intense that she could not travel home and had to sleep in Arcahaie. And when gangs eventually took control of that area as well, she lost everything a second time.

Today, most of Daphné’s family has relocated closer to Port-au-Prince. During the week, she stays near the school so she can continue teaching. On weekends, she travels across the region to reunite with her family before returning again for the school week.

Those trips require her to pass through multiple areas affected by violence.

More than a job

Even through fear and loss, Daphné continues to show up to teach.
“I put my faith in God and continue teaching the children,” she says. “I find great comfort in that. God is always faithful to me, and that is why I can keep going.”

For Daphné, teaching is more than a job.

“Teaching is my passion,” she explains. “It is like therapy for me. When I’m teaching the children, I feel good.”

And the children return her affection.

“I receive a lot of love from the students and from their parents,” Daphné says. “They care deeply about me, and that encourages me.”

She recently experienced that love in a small but meaningful way. One of her students, King Daddjy, sometimes needs help finding a place on a truck to return home to Cabaret. After hearing how Daphné often helped her son, his mother brought her a small gift bag with perfume and a phone case.

“It brought me so much joy,” Daphné says. “Not because of the gift, but because of the gesture of love.”

Investing in futures

Despite everything she has endured, Daphné’s hope remains firmly rooted in the future of her students.

“I want the very best for them,” she says. “When they succeed, it fills me with pride and reminds me that my sacrifices have not been in vain.”

Partner with Daphné

Today, Daphné continues faithfully teaching the youngest students at Grace Emmanuel School—children who are just beginning their educational journey. Through her courage and dedication, they experience stability, love, and the opportunity to learn even in difficult times.

Teachers like Daphné cannot do this work alone.

Right now, 13 students in Daphné’s class are still waiting for sponsors, and the classroom itself needs additional Classroom Champions to help support the learning environment for these young students.

When you sponsor a student or help support a classroom, you’re not only investing in a child’s education—you’re standing with teachers like Daphné who faithfully show up to fight back the darkness every day, planting hope in the hearts of the next generation.