Haiti - What Is the Faith of the Haitian Orphans After the Earthquake?
Posted: Thursday, February 04, 2010
by Rose-Marie Chaperon
Chaperon Consulting, LLC
After the January 12, 2010 earthquake over 500,000 people were killed, some of these people were parents with young children as young as 1 year old. It is estimated currently close to one million children in Haiti are without anyone to care for them. Although many countries and many people want to help, the help cannot come quick enough. Those left to take care of these orphans are in an impossible situation. There is a lack of food, water jobs and homes. Although those left behind would like to step in and help, providing a good life for these children will be impossible, due to the poor economic situation in the country. In the United States alone there are over 300,000 registered sex offenders, and a countless numbers thousands in other countries, even Haiti itself has its problem with sex offenders. In the UK and the US those who have been convicted of a sexual crime are required to register, at least those can be accounted for, however in Haiti the sex offenders are in the homes as most of their victims, they are uncles, dads, cousins, family friends and simply a neighbor. Either way one looks at it, these children are not safe from sexual predators, human trafficking and greed.
In the United States, United Kingdom, and other countries, a convicted sex offender is often required to register with the respective jurisdiction's sex offender registry. These registry databases are frequently accessible to the public through the internet in the US, though not in the UK. Sexual offenders are also sometimes classified into levels. The highest level offenders generally must register as a sex offender for their entire lives, whereas low-level offenders may only need to register for a limited time. As a label of identity it is used in criminal psychology. However, in Haiti there is no such law, 98% of sex crimes are unpunished or unreported.
Sexual predators in other countries especially in the United States unless under house arrest can freely leave the country as long as they have the means to. Sex offenders are not all poor, sexual offenders usually have money, cars, homes and ways to pay for what they want. What will stop them from flying to Haiti to purchase a child or even adopt one? With money, a person can do almost anything especially in a country where survival means everything.
CNN announced today, less than four weeks after the earthquake, it is alleged that those posing as missionary groups and benefactors are already involve in human trafficking, a missionary group from a church in Idaho including Topeka firefighter and youth pastor Drew Culberth are in jail under suspicion of human trafficking. There is a lot of money to be made!
What gave them the right to pick up these children without proper documentations? Is it because Haiti has no laws and no one to speak on behalf of these children? While many people think they had good intentions, however; they broke the law. Should they be punished if found guilty, or should Haiti let them go because Americans were the first responders after the quake? If the same crime was committed in the US by Haitians after hurricane Katrina, would the Haitians be let go? Why should the missionaries be let go, is it because the children they tried to kidnap came from poor families? Or is it simply because we think that they do not matter? You be the judge!! An arrogant person stated "President Obama should tell (not ask) the Haitian authorities to release these missionaries immediately. The U.S. has the ability to give or withhold much needed resources to/from Haiti. Now is the time to use this power to free those missionaries. Like the old saying goes, "He who has the gold makes the rules." This is probably the most absurd and idiotic comment I have yet to hear someone made, I wonder if these children were related to that person, if she would feel the same way? That comment only proves how shameless and small minded some of us can be. It makes one wonder why in America a brother can be a millionaire while his sister is living on the streets?
What does it mean to be poor? - A family or person is considered to be poor based on standards by the country that he lives in. For example, in the United States a person is considered poor if he lives under the poverty level guidelines formulated by the Department of Health and Human Services. According to the Department of Health and Human Services standards, a family of five is considered under poverty level if that family's income is below $25,790 a year. In Haiti a person who makes that amount of money would be considered middle.
To know the causes of Haitian poverty is to clarify the problem. It helps people like me to know where to focus my energies, and my work in attempting to lessen this misery; it also helps those who have no idea about the country to stay quiet instead of making idiotic comments while putting their feet in their mouths. Not only is this a difficult issue, but a controversial topic as well. I've tried to reflect the various thrusts of the argument as I've encountered them. But, ultimately I've had to decide where the evidence seemed strongest. I'm sure some will disagree and do so with vehemence.
The ultimate causes of Haiti's misery are human. They are rooted in greed and power. Both the international community and Haiti's rulers starting with Jean Claude Duvalier aka "baby doc" and ending with the current government have continuously assured the destruction of Haiti's colonial wealth and the creation and continuance of her misery. The corruption in government is probably one of the major causes of Haiti besides the French Colonial Contribution and the US occupation from 1915 to 1938.
Corruption is common in all governments, especially prominent in highly authoritarian regimes, and practiced beyond measure in Haiti. The elite have used their positions in government ever since 1804 to gather the wealth and power of Haiti for themselves. What little wealth the country had has been manipulated into the hands of these elites. Foreign governments and humanitarian and religious organizations have often attempted to aid the suffering people of Haiti. Time and again, over and over in the 200 plus years of so-called freedom, the Haitian elite and government officials have sidetracked much of this wealth for their own purposes. Haiti faces the incredibly difficult task of dealing with corruption that is so established, so all-persuasive as to be an accepted social practice.
To get back to the matter, what will be the faith of these children? What will happen to them in the future? Will all of them find a good home, will they make it while waiting for adoptive parents or will they be part of human trafficking? May God be with them! I hope justice will prevail.
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Top-level comments on this article: (1 total)Very insightful article, Thanks.
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