Haiti government allocates 2.5 Billion Gourdes for Back-to-School cash assistance

Haiti’s Ministry of National Education (MENFP) and the Economic and Social Assistance Fund (FAES) signed a formal agreement on Tuesday, August 18, launching a cash transfer program designed to help vulnerable families cover the costs of the upcoming school year.

Education Minister Vijonet Déméro and FAES Director General Kesner Romilus signed the protocol at the MENFP’s Inspection Générale offices in Musseau, formally establishing the terms of an interinstitutional partnership to facilitate direct cash transfers to parents ahead of the 2026-2027 academic year.

The government has allocated 2.5 billion gourdes for the initiative, which will provide direct financial subsidies to parents whose children attend national, community, communal, and parish schools located in underserved areas across the country.

The program, known as “Cash Transfert-Éducation,” is expected to reach 140,000 parents nationwide. Each eligible parent will receive a one-time allocation of 15,000 gourdes to help offset back-to-school expenses.

According to the MENFP, beneficiaries will be identified using lists generated through the ministry’s SIGE system, (Education Management Information System) which FAES will use to carry out the disbursements on the ground.

“I want to reaffirm the government’s commitment to standing by families, particularly those who need it most,” said Minister Déméro. “Through our programs, FAES is part of a broader approach to supporting vulnerable households, aimed at fostering school continuity, social protection, and equal opportunity,” he continued.

For many families in Haiti’s most disadvantaged communities, the cost of school fees, uniforms, and supplies remains one of the biggest barriers to enrollment at the start of each academic year.

Officials say the direct transfer program is intended to ease that burden and support school attendance among the country’s most vulnerable households.