sexual abuse and exploitation

The Trump Administration intends to deport Haitians residing in the United States with Temporary Protected Status (TPS) despite the fact that Haiti is insecure, dangerous, and a humanitarian emergency.  The head of Doctors Without Borders recently visited Haiti and returned with a clear message for the administration: "People should not be returned to places where violence and insecurity make it unsafe to live, work, or access basic services, including medical care. That reality should guide any decisions about the future of TPS."  Deportees may be kidnapped, injured, or killed - please contact your elected officials on their behalf. 

On February 13th, a fire killed thirteen children and two adult caretakers at a "children's home" that the U.S based Church of Bible Understanding supported in Haiti.  I want to be clear that there are some faith-based groups doing heroic work for health, education, and social justice in Haiti.  There are, however, as many unscruplous organisations who see children as a way to fund-raise salaries, overhead, while providing little for the kids themselves.  Orphanages are money-makers and thus are plentiful, numbering oven 700.  Many of these children are abused and exploited in the name of God and money. If these organisations were really interested in helping, they would make familly planning available so parents have no more children than they want or can afford, would support families to take care of the children they already have, and expand adoption/foster networks for children who have no family to take them in.  The church refuses to comment on the allegations of children who have come forward to say they were abused.  The full article by AP journalists Michael Weissenstein and Ben Fox follows.