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The Dark Side of Haitian Orphanages Part 9
There is a measured attack that we have to make on the world of orphan care. In the short term we have to care for vulnerable children and fight against anyone or anything that tries to take advantage of them. Starting new orphanages does nothing more than create more orphans while funding corrupt orphanages does nothing more than perpetuate evil. We have to find places and people that we trust and invest in them and the children they care for. In the long term, we have to attack the root of the orphan crisis in 3rd world countries and fight for children to have families in which they can grow up. -
The 2 Sides of Faith (Protests Here and in Haiti)
My point is that we know these things are going on, and in the face of people dying apart from Christ, we live our 9 to 5 lives. We teach our kids that the lessons they learn from sports are more important than the lessons they learn from Church. We figure out the next big toy, great vacation, or wonderful experience we can have even as people are dying in poverty apart from Christ. We watch a group of people (both here and in Haiti) that have gotten to the point that they believe the only thing they can do is protest, and we tell them why they are wrong rather than standing beside them and figuring out how to help. -
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. -
Haiti Coronavirus Update - 98 New Cases in 24 Hours
The truth is, I know that these numbers could mean nothing, but it does scare me for Haiti and for our kids. The country is so ill-prepared for something like Covid-19, and I cannot imagine what may come from this. That is the purpose of today's blog. To ask for your prayers. I know that our country is under attack, and even as things begin to open up, there is still an uneasiness about things. With that said, please continue to pray for America, but do one thing for me...
Add Haiti To Your Prayers!
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The Dark Side of Haitian Orphanages Part 5
Most people who run orphanages make 1 of 2 mistakes. Many orphanages that are backed by foreign money will "pamper" a kid with things that they will never have again outside of the orphanage until they are 18 and then send them into a world they are neither prepared for nor equipped to handle (I will write more about this at a later date). Other orphanages, mostly those who do not have the same backing, use the kids in their orphanage for as long as they can in whatever way that they can until they are no longer useful and they send them out. Neither of these 2 mistakes are acceptable. -
The Dark Side of Haitian Orphanages Part 4
Did you know that there are a lot of men and women in Haiti who truly believe that getting their children into an orphanage is the first step to a better life? That is such a sad sentence to write and idea to contemplate. I do not want anyone to read these blogs and think that there are a bunch of parents in Haiti who do not care about their children. That is not the case. -
The Dark Side of Haitian Orphanages Part 3
My challenge to everyone reading this is to be careful who you give your money to. It is important to know what is happening on the ground at all times because it can be the difference between taking care of children or allowing children to be taken advantage of. It is so important to be equal parts giving and wise, and this is why we take every precaution with every donation we receive to make sure our kids and our employees are taken care of. -
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. -
The Dark Side of Orphanages in Haiti and Around the World
Many orphanages in Haiti do not exist primarily to take care of children. In fact, many exist because morally corrupt men or women want to take advantage of the suffering of children and make money off of people who truly want to help.
Unfortunately, the information above is more of an understatement than a mere statement of truth. I would venture to say that the vast majority of orphanages in Haiti are at the very least a means of exploitation for money and at the worst something much more evil than that and this applies to Haitian and American run orphanages alike. To take advantage of and to exploit children, no matter the purpose, is one of the worst things I can think of, and it is important to call out this practice when it exists.
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How Has Covid-19 Changed ATN?
The world is different. Some things have made us think and contemplate what "normal" means and how that term may change in the near future. Other things we are just waiting to be able to do again. I for one cannot wait to get back down to Haiti, hug our kids, visit my family in LaGrange, get our coding program started, go to a restaurant, take my wife out on a date, have a night away from my kids (no offense to my kids), and many many other things that I could list.
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