On Monday, October 5, 2026, during a press briefing, Kesner Romilus, Director General of the Economic and Social Assistance Fund (FAES), announced the launch of the first cash transfer for families eligible for the school subsidy. This initiative is part of a government-led program implemented by FAES under the authority of the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor (MAST).

For the 2025-2026 fiscal year, the government has committed to supporting 150,000 families, comprising 120,000 parents of schoolchildren and 30,000 vulnerable families. According to Romilus, this commitment is now entering its implementation phase with the launch of the first wave of transfers, covering 94,084 beneficiaries : 73,948 parents of schoolchildren and 20,136 vulnerable families.

The distribution of funds to beneficiaries is being handled by the two main mobile money operators : 47,707 beneficiaries are served via NatCash, and 46,377 via MonCash.

Each beneficiary will receive a net amount of 15,000 Gourdes. Withdrawal fees are fully covered by FAES, ensuring that the full net amount appears in the beneficiaries' accounts.

This first wave, totaling over 1.4 billion Gourdes, represents approximately 60% of the government's overall target. A second wave of transfers is scheduled for the end of the week, covering the remaining 55,916 beneficiaries and thereby reaching the total goal of 150,000 beneficiaries. During the press briefing, the Director General of FAES also urged beneficiaries to be vigilant against fraud and scam attempts related to cash transfers : One phone number per transfer; each beneficiary must have their own number. Do not lend your number to anyone, and do not use someone else's number. Never share your NatCash or MonCash secret code with anyone, even if they claim to be an employee of FAES, Natcom, or Digicel. FAES never asks anyone for money to be placed on the list.

FAES reiterates that each beneficiary must use their own phone number and keep their secret codes strictly confidential. The institution also advises the public not to pay any money to anyone claiming to facilitate their registration or access to the program.

In addition to the subsidy for parents of schoolchildren and vulnerable families, the FAES Director General announced that the institution is preparing the next stages of the government program. Specifically, cash transfers are planned for workers in the textile sector and domestic manufacturing, in accordance with government directives.

HL/ HaitiLibre