Port-au-Prince, Haiti — Over half the population in Haiti lives on less than a dollar a day and unemployment approaches 70 percent. Yet in an ironic twist, the hemisphere's poorest country is home to twenty billion dollars worth of gold, copper and silver hidden in its hills.
According to reports, mining permits have been issued behind closed doors, covert deals have been sealed and test drilling has been executed with little government oversight.
Adding to the fear that foreign mining companies may take advantage of the tiny nation, Haiti has been ranked as one of the most corrupt countries in the world—number 175 out of 200.
Compassion's Leadership Development Program identifies bright, promising young students from some of the poorest regions on earth and gives them the chance to attend an accredited university and receive rigorous Christian leadership training. These educated leaders emerge from the program, ready to create significant impact in their own communities and nations.