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The Dark Side of Haitian Orphanages Part 8
For instance, our kids' schedule does not change just because a team comes down. They still have tutoring, meal time, etc. We do special things when teams come down, and we have fun hanging out with them, but we make sure that our kids do not grow an unhealthy attachment to their sponsors or to other Americans they may never see again.
If you have been to an unhealthy orphanage, the opposite is probably true. The kids probably run out to you when you first drive up, they probably latch on to you and sit in your lap or have you hold them constantly the entire time you are in the country. Our kids are attached to Madam Noucheka or Madam Oser, they are attached to Lener or Gina, and they get excited when Mackenson and Wisner come in the gate. These are the men and women that they are connected to and that they have a relationship with.
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The Dark Side of Haitian Orphanages Part 7
We decided, long ago, not to pursue the orphanage/school/church model of orphan care. We chose, instead, to rent a home in a neighborhood, send the kids to a local school, and even allow the older kids to choose what church they wanted to attend. Is this the right thing to do? Maybe and maybe not. We believe it is the right thing for our kids because it is so important for them to learn to live in their own culture. To have friends that they interact with on the outside, to have mentors in their churches, and to have discipline from their schools. Basically, to have a well-rounded life that can help them to mature into well-rounded men and women. -
The Dark Side of Haitian Orphanages Part 6
The dark side of really well-run orphanages that are backed by a lot of supporters and money is that many of these places do not prepare their kids for real life in Haiti (you can substitute any developing country for Haiti). The truth is, we have made a lot of "American" mistakes. But this is also the reason that we have Haitians in charge of every aspect of our ministry. People that we trust and listen to, and people that make sure our kids are raised in the country where they live rather than an American oasis that is nothing more than physically located in Haiti. -
The Dark Side of Haitian Orphanages Part 2
This story sets up the rest of this series about the dark side of Haitian orphanages. It is there and it is very prevalent. I wanted all of you to know that we have some experience in this. We got our kids out of a place that was terrible and into a place where they are loved and care for. To hear some of their stories from their old orphanage, and to know that the ones that they don't tell are much worse is a very difficult thing. But it is really important to talk about this side of orphan ministry and to do our best to make sure it does not happen to other kids.
