The Situation on The Streets
Our primary goal is to see families thrive and keep children off of the streets.
We recently partnered with the chief justice and the director of police in Port-de-Paix, Haiti along with children's services. We will be working together to tackle some root causes that force most children to end up on the streets.
Over 50% of the prison population are former street children who had gotten into bad habits, according to the chief justice and the police. The majority of theft, violence, murder, kidnapping and other such acts are a direct result of the forgotten children living on the streets. If you have ever been to any part of Haiti, you will find them begging in front of restaurants, grocery stores, gas stations, banks, or wiping dirty cars through traffic in order to survive. When they cannot find enough throughout the day to eat, that's when the tide shifts. At this point, they will do anything for a plate of food or a few dollars. Big and corrupt politicians will use them for their evil deeds instead of helping them reach their God given potential.
“I count myself very fortunate, because if God didn't provide a way out when He did, I would probably be dead or in prison”. That's the fate of the majority. “Each of us are saved from a situation not in order to remain comfortable in our newfound position.” – Ebenson Verdule (founder)
Many of the children who end up on the streets do not go to school because of lack of finances, or they are abandoned due to absence of one or both parents, or they may have been forced to leave home due to mistreatment and abuse. Over 15% of the population in Haiti are restavek children. Restavek is a modern-day form of a domestic servant - child slavery. Many often would escape to the streets when possible, to avoid excessive abuse.
As a child living on the streets these are the choices you have:
Learn bad/destructive habits, when you get caught breaking the law you suffer many years in prison or death.
Corrupt politicians or drug dealers giving you a gun and a guarantee of food to do their dirty work for them.
Join a gang to feel some sense of belonging.
Escape all the above yet without an education/guidance or trade skill. Eventually becoming a parent and having to abandon your kids because of the shame of not able to provide; so those kids ending up on the streets to begin a new cycle.
Your financially support is not just a temporary patch; but your giving allow us to help those that are considered disrupters of society and transform their lives through Biblical guidance, basic education, trade skills so they can become good contributors to society with integrity and the fear of the Lord.