Story by Natalie Hartman, Andrean High School Acropolis Newspaper

Mr. Fedele,I have attached the Hatian children story that was published in the Andrean High School Acropolis newspaper. I sincerely thank you for all that you have done and continue to do concerning the assistance you have provided me to better understand the situations of the Haitian children as I was writing the article. I am continuing to pray for you and the children at the Maranatha orphanage.Thank you so much,Natalie Hartman, Andrean High School Acropolis newspaper staff member

According to the United Nations Children’s fund, approximately 380,000 orphans were living in the small Caribbean country of Haiti before the horrible earthquake that hit the island January 12. As the outcomes of the natural disasters continue to settle, the number of abandoned Haitian children is expected to significantly increase. However, although the recent earthquakes are shedding a new light on the horrific orphan issues in Haiti, the children of the country have been suffering for many years. With the situation worse than ever before, many private benefactors and national as well as worldwide organizations have rushed to aid the country’s suffering young generation.

As post-earthquake issues continue to arise in Haiti after the January 12 and January 20 tremors with magnitudes of 7.0 and 5.9, respectively, deep problems are continuing to reveal themselves. Issues concerning child safety are increasingly becoming significant as problems including illegal trafficking of Haitian children continue to arise. Greater efforts from worldwide non-governmental organizations (NGOs) as well as increased safety regulations to protect the young generation of Haiti are vital as the young population is facing more dangers than ever before.

According to Haiti Innovation, as many as 300,000 displaced Haitian children were living in the country prior to the earthquakes. However, the Haitian Ministry of Education is now approximating a shocking 450,000 restaveks, or unaccompanied children, living in the disaster-struck country. These statistics directly result in countless, severe problems that will continue to hang over the Haitian population for years to come.

However, several significant sources of these problems can be identified and adjusted. A primary cause of the horrendous conditions for many Haitian children restaveks and orphans can be traced directly to the Haitian government’s failure to create any form of a child welfare system, deeply contrasting the U.S.’s strict child protection policies. In the U.S., if a child is not living with his or her original birth family, monitoring systems constantly overlook the welfare of the child until he or she becomes an adult. “In Haiti, the opposite is true, as the trading and exploitation of children has been called ‘part of the culture’ by the Haitian prime minister,” said Lynda Russo-Jones, director of Life for the World, Inc. and operator for the Maranatha Orphanage and School.
Further sources of the conditions can be traced to the Haitian government’s failure to provide public schooling. The $3-4 dollar tuition required daily for school is too much of a burden for many Haitian families. This backwards take on education by the government of Haiti is directly hindering the future of the country as well as the population.

However, orphanages such as the Maranatha Orphanage and School in Haiti provide safe havens for many children. “Our orphanage provides love, affection, and security for our children. They feel safe and on top of that they have a place they can find food and have an education. They don’t feel like orphans anymore,” said Michael Fedele, Founder & President Life for the World, Inc.

Factors such as these are the primary basis for the problems of a Haitian child. According to the Congressional Research Service (CRS), approximately 30,000 young Haitians are trafficked to the neighboring country of the Dominican Republic each year for extensive labor. “If a child is not offered by its family into slavery or sold across the border [to the Dominican Republic]… the child is often given up to an institution that can better provide,” said Jones. This includes the approximate10,000 orphanages mostly owned by charitable European and American organizations existing in Haiti. However, as no basic standards exist, lax child regulations permit young orphans to be considerably susceptible to the methods of the orphanage director, whether it is positive or negative.

With each additional factor brings increased danger for the Haitian restaveks. Although combined efforts from countless non-profit organizations are seeking to bring Haitian orphans to the U.S., Canada, and European countries, the complete destruction of the country may offer a prime opportunity for a modified Haiti to rise out of the rubble in the years to come.
Taking countless young Haitians from their homeland and possible relatives may not be the best answer. Rather, promoting the emerging generation with a newfound spark of commitment for protecting the country’s children to rebuild Haiti with a better tomorrow in mind, could be a key factor as the Haitian people rise from the dust as a more united people than ever.

“After evacuation of established orphans, I believe the well-intending NGOs (Unicef, Save the Children, etc.) can establish a system to house/educate new orphans whose families cannot be found. A new system, in conjunction with family preservation measures to assist families in keeping their children, seems to be the correct course of action. Albeit, the details are daunting,” said Jones.

Although the obstacles for Haitian children are far from gone, a hope for a brighter future led by the young generation of today’s Haitians remains through the prospect of optimistic modifications. “These steps range from global economic steps such as cancelling Haiti’s oppressive amount of International Monetary Fund (IMF) debt, to micro-economic steps such as small businesses opportunities for our children. Ironically, I believe the massive rebuilding and cleanup now required in Haiti will, for the first time, provide real employment opportunities. The fact that much of the country is leveled and in the public eye will, for the first time, provide opportunities for investment by foreign corporation who might establish resort, manufacturing, or other employment opportunities for Haiti,” said Jones.