Haiti: Grim reality for street children

© UNICEF video

A homeless boy begging on the street of Port-au-Prince, the capital.

By Kun Li

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti, 27 December 2005 – Homeless children stand in the middle of a busy street in order to stop passing cars and beg passengers for money. This scene has become far too common in many neighbourhoods of Port-au-Prince, Haiti’s capital.

In this city alone there are thousands of street children. Extreme poverty and political instability have left them no other choice but to fend for themselves. To stay alive, many of them wash cars, load buses, or beg, while others become involved with armed gangs in the hope of protection and a better chance of survival.

“These children are deprived of affection and protection. They do not have access to food and education, and are constantly under the threat of all kinds of violence, including sexual abuse and exploitation,” said Sylvana Nzirorera, UNICEF Haiti Communication Officer.

The health and hygiene conditions for street children are precarious. Many of them suffer from a range of skin and respiratory diseases, as well as sexually transmitted infections. HIV/AIDS infection rate is as high as 20 per cent among street children, with most cases being among girls.

© UNICEF video

Homeless children play in the courtyard of the Lakou Centre, a foster care facility supported by UNICEF.

Lakou – a ray of light for many street children

Amid the grim reality, a number of foster care centres have served as a ray of light for many children. The Lakou Centre is one of them. Headed by Father Attilio Stra, an Italian native who has been working with Haiti’s children for 30 years, the centre provides the children with a safe place to play, laugh and learn useful skills.

Every day about two hundred children and young people pass through the large courtyard of the centre (‘Lakou’ means ‘courtyard’ in Creole). Whether riding around on unicycles or gliding on wobbly roller blades, within the Lakou compound these children are free to be children again.

“Almost all the children who come to the centre are traumatized by bad experiences. They were treated badly,” said Father Attilio, who is the director of the centre. “You can hardly find a child who doesn’t have a scar on his body. We invite them to the centre and teach them vocational skills to prepare them for a better future,” he continued.

© UNICEF video

Young mother Nana Pierre, 18, (centre) rests at the Lakou Centre with her baby and other homeless mothers.

Here the children are given a chance to learn mechanics, metal work, hair dressing and tailoring. The centre also runs a nursery for the children of street children, who became mothers at a very early age.

“I had my first child at 14, and I gave birth on the streets,” said Nana Pierre, 18.

“I have three children, the first was born when I was 16. This is my son, and he is 4 years old. I gave birth to them on the street,” said Marienette Azor, 20.

Young women like Nana and Marienette are the most vulnerable. Poor living condition and the dangerous nature of a street life have made them easy targets for sexual exploitation and HIV/AIDS.

Although the Lakou centre has been a safe haven for many homeless boys, girls and babies, it can only shelter them for so long. Each day, after of a few hours of peace and comfort, the need to make a living will once again drive the children back onto the streets.

Friday, March 11, 2005

Haiti - Franz Pierre

"What caused the riots and the curfew?" I asked the honey-lipped little girl seated on a bar stool in Santo Domingo’s dilapidated Colon Bar. It was April 1980.

"Corruption," she said, "A fourteen year old newspaper boy and a journalist were shot. Near your hotel."

I decided to escape to Haiti. A taxi drove me to the airport along roads piled high with rubbish.

On the flight over the mountainous island of Hispaniola a picturesque young Argentinian woman got chatting to me. She was dressed like a latter-day Eva Peron.

"Haiti is very safe for the tourist," she said. "The police are very severe. I am in favour of law and order."

Port au Prince, at first glance, was a tropical paradise: neon-pink bougainvillea, burning-white sands, sharp green-brown mountains, dancing palms, and multi-coloured wooden gingerbread houses.

In the palatial little Hotel Prince I sat beside the swimming pool and talked to John, a UN nutritionist, from West End Lane in London’s West Hampstead.

"Haiti is some sort of paradise," said John. "But there is hunger and malnutrition. There’s not enough water. Some people have to walk many miles to get water."

"Corruption?"

"It’s no worse than in Europe," said John.

"Law and order?"

"London is rougher than Port au Prince."

"Unemployment?"

"80% of the population are unemployed."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

HAITI

This is the land of louche travellers.

I came across a man who looked like an EC commissioner in a very dubious place of entertainment.

This is a land of voodoo drums, denuded mountains, tropical diseases and AIDS

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I strolled to the area of docks and markets.

Black,sweating, muscular bodies were carrying enormous loads from ship to shore. Water was being transported on the heads of small ragged girls to home-made slum houses. Plump women dressed in jazzy browns and reds were selling scrawny chickens. The streets smelt of Africa at its most raw, squalid and impoverished.

Near the park in front of the sparkling white palace of President-for-Life, Jean Claud Duvalier, I became aware that I was being followed. The Tonton Macoute?

My pursuer was 14-year-old Franz Pierre. His lips were covered in sores; he had a bubbly nose; his sandals were falling apart; he looked shriveled and worn out by life’s cares; and he smelt of pavements.

Franz took me on a tour by tap-tap, a mini-bus like the Manilla ones.

We saw primitive settlements where people kept a few cattle or pigs or chickens. We saw semi-naked women bathing or washing clothes in filthy pools and streams.

"Tomorrow, I give you another tour," said Franz in Haitian French.

"OK. I’ll have finished breakfast by 11am."

Next morning I woke early and happened to look out the bedroom window. Franz was waiting beneath a palm tree. It was 6am.

After breakfast I decided we would have a taxi ride.

"Taxi?" asked a bearded man standing next to hotel reception, "Two dollars!"

"Oui," I replied, and with Franz trotting behind me, we set off in search of the man’s taxi. We walked and walked.

"Where is the taxi?" I asked twice. It appeared that the man did not have a taxi, but, for a small commission he would try to find one.

"Non!" I stated clearly. "We will walk."

Franz came in useful and found us a tap-tap, a highly decorated partly open van. I sat between a woman with chickens and a child with a bucket of water. The fare was counted in cents.

We travelled several miles to a section of beach with palm trees. Anchored out in the bay was a giant American warship.

"Babylon is coming!" said Franz.

Beaches are not my scene. So a "taxi" took us into the hills to Petionville. The driver insisted that I duck my head when we passed the police station as his taxi was not licensed to travel so far. The steering wheel was somewhat suspect and I was relieved when we reached the rum distillery outside Petionville.

We sampled rum flavoured with various tropical flavours from banana to spice. The taxi driver had more than his share of rum.

In Petionville the taxi driver turned difficult. The bargain with the driver had been that he would take us to and from Petionville for ten dollars. He now wanted extra, to cover the cost of waiting while we had a quick look around the town. I handed the driver five dollars to cover the cost of our outward journey and set off up the street. The driver followed. I fled into a church and sat down in the middle of the beautifully dressed congregation which was waiting for the start of the Sunday service. The taxi driver joined us and began an argument with poor Franz.

Some members of the congregation told the driver to keep quiet. I offered the driver an extra dollar. The argument continued. Eventually an offer of two extra dollars got rid of the gentleman.

Petionville had many beautiful gardens and a restful park where Franz and I had a picnic lunch. Franz asked me if there was sea all over the world. He showed me that he could write his name, but only just. He could not read, but he was desperately keen that I should write to him from England. He couldn’t read the words on simple food labels or the words on currency notes, something which embarrased him greatly.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Next day Franz had bought himself new plimsoles. They were too big for him but at least he was better off than most of the ragged waifs and strays around the city.

Franz gave his old battered plimsoles, which were split on both sides, to a tiny barefoot beggar boy with a badly swollen eye. The plimsoles were many sizes too big for the tiny beggar, but, the boy was overjoyed to have them and thanked us many times. His name was Minoir. Minoir shuffled away, going round to the back of a restaurant to search for food.

A fat lady came running out of the restaurant and started chasing Minoir while brandishing a piece of rope. Minoir ran down the street screaming. His plimsoles came off. The fat lady picked up the plimsoles and threw them in a rubbish bin.

Sitting in the park in front of the president’s palace eating lunch, Franz and I were stared at by a boy with legs as thin as pokers. I offered him a roll. He thanked us so very politely and ran off to eat it hurriedly behind a tree.

(Ex-president Jean-Claude Baby Doc Duvalier now lives in very greatluxury in France; his regime is accused of thousands of political killings)

An older youth approached and offered his services as a guide.

"Non-merci," I explained.

"I shoot you," he said, and then walked away smiling and swearing.

Franz and I explored the home made houses on the hill behind the hotel. Small girls seemed to spend their entire day carrying water, none of it pure, to their houses.

At night the voodoo drums could be heard beating out in the shanty town settlement.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

One evening Franz decided to take me to see some nightlife, and we travelled by taxi to an area of rougher than rough shanties. We ended up in a dimly-lit night-time bar in the middle of nowhere.

Franz Pierre wanted extra money. I refused.

Suddenly abandoned by my guide I found myself surrounded by people who would not have been out of place in a Rio jail, people who spoke a language that was difficult to comprehend.

In a cellar I discovered there was another tourist there, a large man with a smart suit and a young black friend; his presence made me feel less scared. But it was time to leave before I was turned into a zombie or attacked by werewolves or loupgarous.

Haiti is a Graham Greene sort of place…a bit spooky.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Using the services of a Haitian bishop I arranged for Franz to receive a regular supply of money for schooling.

Unfortunately it didn’t work out. After about a year the bishop’s office reported that Franz and his older friends were spending the money on ‘luxuries’ rather than on food and education.

Haitian Street Kids, Inc. - Child Murders - Death Squads

Thursday, November 25 2004 @ 09:34 AM PST

Michael Brewer
Wednesday, November 24, 2004

My name is Michael Brewer, RN, an American who lives in Port au Prince,
Haiti, where I have an organization and home for street kids and runaway restavek
slave children. Being as intimately close to the problem of homeless children
as I am, I feel I must let someone know about a very disturbing trend that has
began to surface again in Haiti.

Carloads of men referred to as "ancient military," who are actually members
of the now disbanded military, have began patrolling the streets of Port au
Prince and are indiscriminately murdering street children for no reason other
than sport. These men prowl the streets of the city in groups of 6 to 10 with
high-powered military assault rifles, shotguns and 9mm pistols, wearing all-black
uniforms with black ski masks over their heads to conceal their identities.
They justify the murders of these boys by referring to them as "vagabonds" and
say that they are "cleaning the streets".

An example of the merciless slaughter of these children happened last
Thursday on the 11th of November between 7:pm and 8:pm in the evening, in a
well-known park located in the Petionville section of Port au Prince named Plais Bois.
Many homeless boys of all ages sleep in this park at night due to lack of help
and facilities or support for these children and the organizations that
attempt to care for them.

Here is what happened: At approximately 7:pm in the evening, a carload of
these ex-military members, whom the people wrongly refer to as "police," drove by
the park and stopped where 20 to 30 children were sleeping. The ones that
were not asleep alerted the others, and they all began to run. Three were caught
by the men: one 7-year old by the name of Linxson, one 12-year-old and a
15-year-old. The boys were first beaten severely. Black bags were then put over
their heads and tied around their necks, and then they were shot and killed. The
bodies were placed in the trunk of the car and taken away from the scene.

One week earlier, a nine-year-old named Emmanuel was running from a group of
these men after he refused to come to them when they called him. They shot him
in the leg with an assault rifle to stop him. Three of the men casually
walked up to where the child was lying on the ground and crying. They ridiculed
him, then shot him again with pistols and a shotgun, for a total of 4 more times.

One of my children, a 14 year old boy named Makinzi, was murdered as he was
walking down the side of the road about three weeks ago. His face was terribly
scared from previous abuse suffered while sleeping on the streets before
coming to our home. While sleeping, passer-bys poured flaming liquid of some sort
over his face and shoulders, resulting in thick, dark scaring from third degree
burns. His self-appointed executioners were heard to say that they thought he
was wearing a mask, and assumed that he must be a thief. I’ve attached a
picture of Makinzi, as well as a picture of another
of my kids that was brutally abused while out on the streets.

The incidents I have given as examples are just a very few of the daily
murders of these children that are committed by these groups of men every day and
night in every part of the city. There are "dump zones" where the decomposing
bodies of little boys can be found any day of the week. I have found many. This
is blatant genocide. The merciless atrocities committed on these defenseless,
harmless and innocent street children go completely unnoticed, unreported,
and uninvestigated.

The terror, insecurity and misery being placed upon these children, whose
lives are already far more difficult and painful than any child should be forced
to endure, is now at an unprecedented level. There is no one for them to turn
to for protection or help except for people like me, and organizations such as
mine, who are in reality powerless to do anything real to stop this. Our
support is at a point now, where we have many days we are unable to feed them more
than once, or even once per day, and our efforts to improve the support for
the children renders very little results so far. The United Nations forces do
nothing and completely ignore this crisis. There is no "real" or effective
police for them to turn to due to the children’s inability to "pay" for the
services or protection of the police. I also find it very ironic that the Brazilian
military forces, now constituting the bulk of the UN presence in Haiti, are
from the very country so well known for the murder and abuse of street children
in their own country. Their inaction and lack of concern regarding these
heinous acts is not difficult to understand when viewed in that context.

If you know of any effective way for this ongoing tragedy that has become an
epidemic to come to light so that effective action may be taken, please do
help get the story out. Or let me know what I may be able to do. I am currently
in the U.S. for a short time attempting to do what I can to seek a solution to
this and other problems. It is the first time I have been back to in the U.S.
for 6 years, and have come now only because of the urgent and critical nature
of the problems at hand.

Thank you and hope to hear from you soon.

Respectfully,

Michael W. Brewer, RN
haitian street kids, Inc.

Street children, girl servants severely affected by Haitian violence – UNICEF

19 April 2004 – The violence that brought about the change of Haiti’s government earlier this year has had a severe impact on the 2,000 street children in the capital, Port-au-Prince, and on the 120,000 girls who work as domestic servants across the country, according to a United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) assessment mission.

“The conflict affected every child in Haiti because of an environment of impunity. The increase in violence meant that the supply of food was considerably reduced, medical help was virtually unobtainable, and schools were closed for months. The crisis is over, but its effect on children is still of real concern to us,” UNICEF representative Francoise Gruloos-Ackermans says.

The mission’s report says children were recruited by armed gangs in almost a third of the 31 surveyed zones and now live in fear of retribution for any violence in which they took part, while in more than 15 per cent of the surveyed zones, children were reportedly murdered in the violence. A zone is a town or city and its suburbs.

Children were shot and wounded or were beaten by armed gangs in more than a third of the surveyed zones and the number of child rapes increased significantly in the urban areas. A human rights organization reported that nine girls were raped in the town of Cabaret over the course of only two days, UNICEF says.

Schools and hospitals were often the targets of violence and looting, it says.

Nearly half of primary-school-aged children are not in school and 80 per cent of those eligible do not go to secondary school. Haiti has a literacy rate under 45 per cent, the lowest in the Americas, and the recent crisis has exacerbated the situation, UNICEF says.

Haiti: Street children under the influence of drugs
April 2000

By: Carril Desrosiers, Freelance Journalist, Port-au-Prince

English français español kreyol

As is known, Haitian street children are prey to a multitude of pests, which descend on them without respite. The issue of drugs ranks prominent among these.

Hard drugs, soft drugs, no matter what it is exactly, all is destined to be consumed. With the evidence at hand, one has to ask the following questions: Why do street children dope themselves? What types of narcotics do they consume? Where and how do they get them? And what are the immediate results on their life and on the society in general?

Until now, no specialized literature exists relating to this facet of the life of these children. This prevents one from having valid and reliable figures. However, through direct observation and based on investigations led by certain charitable institutions, such as "Foyer Lakay," a picture emerges. Four children out of eight confess their addiction to narcotics or dope: cocaine, marijuana, sansimilia, thinner, or the glue used by shoemakers.

In the book entitled "Lakay, un Foyer pour les Enfants des Rues" (Lakay, a home for street children), produced by UNICEF, Frantz Lofficial stated that these poor children, living in misery and daily hopelessness, easily fall in the trap of drugs and become their unfortunate victims.

Pierre-Richard Jediné, based at the Champs de Mars, said that he no longer uses those substances. "They cause more pain than good feelings," he underlined. He said that the inhalation of shoemakers glue causes serious damage to the user’s cerebral system. Five gourdes is enough to buy it. The person, after having consumed it, becomes mentally unstable, lost or deaf to everything and starts to commit crimes and dishonest acts.

Kenson Hilaire, also from the Champs de Mars, supported this statement by showing the presence of people around him taking cocaine. He pointed out a fellow called "Ti Bob," the eldest and, frankly, the big chief of the cartel. "He only steals and carries out sordid crimes to have money and buy drugs. Often he becomes violent, furious like a wild cat and attacks the youngest," said Hilaire. Ti Bob currently lives in the bushes and is wanted by the police.

According to the residents of the Champ de Mars, the "Pigeon Place" is where drugs transactions take place. The addicts conceal the narcotics by rolling it in tobacco leaves.

With a sad and depressed look, a container of Juna full of thinner in his hands, Adler Jean of Rue des Fronts-Forts said that he is always on the look-out for ecstatic sensation and drowsiness. According to him, the thinner works as a sleeping drug. Some minutes of inhalation and he forgets his misfortune and detaches himself from his physical environment.

According to Reverend Father Attilo Stra from Foyer Lakay, such use destroys children’s health and makes them filthier than those who do not take drugs.

Addicts compensate their lack of hard drugs (cocaine), which are too expensive, by acquiring marijuana. Less importantly, sansimilia is used, which is easy to find. In exchange for rendering a minor service for a vendor, a smoker receives a "joint" costing 5 gourdes depending on the quality and the availability of the market.

Patrick St.-Fort, living and interviewed at the gate of the Magic Dry Cleaning of Rue du Centre, explained that drugs put him in an absolute carefree attitude and helps him to forget even himself.

John Kilove, a child of 16 years old, living in the Rue des Cesars, compared drugs to the devil. That is why he does not take them. He thinks that they provoke paranoia which can be followed by madness.

Baby Dorisma of the base "Cathedral" of Port-au-Prince told that drugs is something that he consumes daily. He energetically defended marijuana and sansimilia and recommended their complete legalization. He added that originally they are natural plants.

Haiti: Street Children Identify Themselves and Speak Out - Portail Leogane Area
January 2000

By: Carril Desrosiers, Free-lance Journalist, Port-au-Prince

English français español kreyol

They are children, most of them male, between 6 and 17 years old. They adopt the street as a natural habitat for survival, maintaining relationships at all hours of the day and night with other poor like them. They essentially come from rural areas and poor districts of provincial cities and Port-au-Prince. They meet in precise places at certain hours of the day and night. Their general environment is Port-au-Prince.

These are the criteria used by Martine Bernier and Paul Ascensio (Save the Children Canada –Haiti Programme) to define the population of street children.

Through irrefutable testimonies, one will be able to understand factors of influence, the complexity, multiple forms of the moving reality of these children, who live in a complete state of poverty and in abject misery. Children of the streets, children in the streets, they identify themselves and tell about their own lives.

At the National School Fortuna Guerry, one morning in August 1999, Donalson Beauzile told of his troubles.

"I am Donalson Beauzile. But at home everyone calls me Dickenson. I was born in Port-au-Prince and I am eleven years old. I spend my entire days on the street because my mother doesn’t have the means to help me and send me to school. My father is dead, since several years. After passing my day in the streets, I return to my home which is located on Chemin des Dalles. After making it to Grade 4, I had to abandon my studies in favour of marginal activities. I load bags for people taking public transportation and earn up to 40 Gourdes per day*. I take that sum normally to my mother and she uses it as she wants.

"I am also a victim of the insecurity. The older children, often armed, complicate my existence and do some serious harm to me. In the evening, when it is too late for me to go home, they deliberately put fire on me while I am asleep. They seize my money and my belongings. There are no law institutions where I can file complaints.

"Everybody is angry at poor children. Often, policemen arrive unexpectedly, systematically secure the place and arrest all the deprived people without justification. When we get to the Delmas Police station, we are treated like dogs and are put in tiny and overcrowded cells. There are thieves among us. But not all of us are. Honest and hard working children are also among us. I personally prefer to work for the things that I need.

"Thank God I don’t fall sick often. The bad things that I frequently suffer include: migraine, fever, the flu, etc. In bad cases, I visit a doctor and pay for the consultation with my own money.

"I often have sexual intercourse with the girls in the area. I am aware of the diseases which I can contract, such as AIDS. Therefore, I take my precautions and use condoms. In order to be informed, I listen to Radio Ginen and Caraibe FM.

"I am totally without medical and sanitary care. Lately, I was at the State University Hospital to have a cyst tumor treated. They asked me such a high amount that I returned home without being consulted. I needed an admission card, which costs 15 Gourdes and I would have to pay for the medicines that would be prescribed by the physician. This would have cost me 150 Gourdes in total, which I did not have. Even if I had told them that I am a street child, it would not have changed a thing

"I would like to attend a public school in order to pursue my studies. I would work in the morning and go to school in the afternoon. I am ready to finance my studies as long as it doesn’t exceed my meager means. But, the problem is that there is too much favoritism in public schools. Their doors are not open for the underprivileged.

"I have hardly any leisure. But in order to relax, my buddies and I bought a ball for 15 Gourdes and play soccer together. On Sundays, I go to the beach (at Le Lambi), and after that return home.

"My dream is to become a professional journalist, and be a man like all men."

It was 10:00 a.m. in the South Section and Saintael Saintubin related his problems.

"Balikou is my nickname. My true name is Saintael Saintubin. My parents live in Bainet. My father works in a bakery and my mother does laundry for private people. I came to Port-au-Prince by myself, by clinging to the tail of a public bus that made the journey. The street is my only home. I wipe cars and I beg people for money and food to survive. My parents know that I am in the streets. But they cannot do anything. I have a sister who works at TELECO (the phone company). We never see each other. I don know where my other brothers and sisters are.

"I am often dirty because it is very difficult to wash oneself and wear clean clothes. I buy second-hand clothes at the market of Croix-des-Bossales.

"I have the strong desire to return home and be loved by my parents. Because I am in constant and clear danger where I am. I have heard talk about charity centres. But, I am somewhat distrustful on this point.

"My dream it is to pursue my studies, to become a construction professional and to truly integrate in the society."

Pierre Roussel of the Portail Leogane base, also spoke about his life.

"I am Pierre Roussel Jean-Claude Georges. I am 10 years old. My mother has passed away and my father lives in Espanda, a locality in the south of Port-au-Prince, not far from La Ferme. I have always lived in Portail Léogane. I only beg and wipe cars. I earn 15 Gourdes a day. Regularly I entrust this sum to Marie, a food vendor who saves it for me. She gives me food and drink when I need it.

"I eat once a day. My lunch costs me 4 Gourdes. My days are full. Each morning, I go to the city to buy carrots and then resell them. With this money I buy myself some used clothes and other useful things for my survival. Thank God, I am not a sickly child.

"I am the prey of bad people. At night, when I fall asleep, they pour glue in my eyes — this is why I do not have a clear vision. They hate me because I don’t give them my money. I used to take drugs, inhaling glue or thinners, the fumes of which cause an ecstatic feeling. I am informed of venereal illnesses that kill a lot of people in Haiti. The older ones say that the best way to protect ourselves is to use condoms. I would like to go to a Charity Centre but I am afraid of being beaten by older children. Meanwhile, I wait for the humanitarian projects of the government."

[1188 words]

* Currently, 1 US$ equals 19 Gourdes.

Children in the Streets of Haiti

By Blanchard, 14 September 1996

I’ve only been a subscriber for a short time but have not seen any dialogue about the many street children of Port-au-Prince. The following was written by a 16 year old boy from Lafanmi Selavi. He wrote it in english, a language he barely speaks, with the help of three dictionaries, english, french and kreyol, because he couldn’t imagine me finding someone to translate it in San Francisco. He hopes to be a journalist.

There are a lots of children in Haiti who are living in the street. There are maybe one thousand sometimes that introduce the big problem about the children Haitian. They are living any way they find but the government Haitian don’t ever say anything about that big problem. It’s been a long time since there are many children living on the street of Haiti. They started to discover that about year 1986. Many times they see the life is difficult for them. I have a dream about how to take off the children on the street. They are children like all children who are living in the world too, they think like everyone, they would like to be a person in their life. They need people who can help them. They have their place in the society. Who has got a future for those children? Children today will be old tomorrow, let’s examine that problem. The problem of children living in the street isn’t only to Haiti, that’s the way it is, this problem introduced throughout the world. There are many organizations who are working throughout the world about the children.