Greater Custine, has only 1 grade school and no additional facility. It charges approximately 127,000 Gourdes per year, equivalent to $330.00 U.S dollars a year, not including books, uniform, shoes or special fees. This fee prohibits the attendance of nearly all the children in the community. This problem has resulted in an illiteracy rate of more than 65% of the population.
These hurdles to an education can easily create a sense of desperation in parents and contribute to the hopelessness of children. As a result, a seemingly perpetual cycle of poverty continues, generation after generation. That is why for more than 15 years At Risk Children has been providing critical assistance to children and families struggling in poverty through many programs aimed at improving their lives, through community empowerment, and escaping poverty through education.