In Haiti, it often takes just one person to pull an entire family out of poverty — a fact that young James knows all too well. Having recently graduated from a Salesian-run vocational training program, he was fully prepared for employment in a profession that could truly transform his, and his family’s, future. Yet one significant obstacle remained: he simply could not afford to get a job.

“It seems like a cruel joke,” says Father Mark Hyde, director of Salesian Missions. “It’s a situation of ‘no tools, no job.’ Employers won’t hire workers without their own toolkits — yet these kits can be prohibitively expensive for students who have previously struggled to live on as little as $1 per day.”

Facing a cost of up to $250 in order to buy the tools of his trade, James was discouraged. What good was his education if he couldn’t put it to use?

Fortunately, thanks to a new partnership between Salesian Missions and A Self-Help Assistance Program (ASAP), James — and more than 230 other graduates of Salesian-run professional training schools around the country — now have the tools they need to fully participate in the workforce.

ASAP accepts donated tools at its Peachtree City, Georgia headquarters — where volunteers then refurbish and bundle them into vocation-specific kits before shipping them to Haiti. A typical carpentry kit, for example, comprises up to 26 tools including electrical saws, sanders, hammers, nail guns, levels, screwdrivers and more. Volunteers craft the kits themselves out of donated plywood, pallets and other lumber in order to keep costs low.

ASAP generously donates the tool kits to us. You and other good friends help us coordinate and pay the shipping costs to distribute them in Haiti. You have helped provide an education and the tools needed for gainful employment — a double blessing for poor youth — made possible by good people, like you.

“This partnership has truly made a measurable impact on the lives of our students,” says Fr. Mark. “Graduates of our carpentry, electrical, plumbing, auto repair and masonry programs have now found employment — and become empowered to break the cycle of poverty in their lives. We are grateful to you and ASAP — and we look forward to working together to bring new hope to even more youth in Haiti, long into the future.”

“Before, all I could do was worry about tools and how I had no money to buy them,” says James. “But now I am so happy. I thank God and the donors for this life-changing gift.”

Our mission empowers impoverished youth by preparing them for meaningful work and a sustainable future through vocational training. What’s your mission?