Girl Rising | Haiti Chapter

Summary

The video opens with the broader challenge of girls’ education. It describes educating girls as a valuable investment, yet notes that millions remain out of school: 130 million girls ages 6–17 are out of school, and many more struggle to stay in class.

The story follows Wadley in Haiti on January 12, 2010. Before the earthquake, she is happy to be at school, memorizing a speech by a historic figure associated with Haiti’s fight for independence. She imagines being brave and defiant, and wishes she had more examples of courageous women to learn from.

Wadley shares a snack with a new classmate, Zelda, whose father was recently killed. The children take turns reciting lines from their history lesson. Wadley sees their attempts and hesitations as a kind of tribute to history.

The earthquake upends Wadley’s life. She and her mother end up in a tent camp, while their school and neighborhood lie in ruins. Her mother spends her days searching for friends and relatives who might help. Wadley’s daily task becomes fetching water, though she longs to return to school.

The story emphasizes how poverty and money affect children’s access to education. Wadley recognizes that some children go to school while others cannot, partly because their families lack money.

Determined not to let that keep her out, Wadley goes to a makeshift tent school and sits with the other children. The teacher, Madame Roy, initially seems not to recognize her—a response Wadley understands in the context of the earthquake’s trauma and disorientation.

Wadley keeps returning despite being uncertain about what she can do or whether she will be allowed to stay. Her persistence reflects the chapter’s central lesson: disaster and poverty can interrupt a girl’s education, but they do not extinguish her desire to learn. The story closes by returning to the image of flowers brightening when Wadley is happy.

Speakers and sources featured

• Unnamed narrator/voice-over: Tells most of Wadley’s story and delivers the introductory statements about girls’ education.
• Wadley: The central character; her thoughts and determination are conveyed mainly through narration, with some dialogue that is unclear in the auto-generated subtitles.
• Madame Roy: The teacher at the makeshift school; her brief dialogue is not clearly transcribed.
• Classmates and people in the camp: Brief classroom recitations and remarks appear, but many are unclear in the subtitles.
• Wadley’s mother: Mentioned as part of the story; the subtitles do not clearly identify a spoken line from her.