Where Should Haiti's Children Go?
Take a look at the facts
Haiti is undergoing a major crisis which is bringing resources, and forces, from far and wide. However, despite the outpouring of assistance from other countries, Haiti is still going through the aftershocks of the earthquake which occurred on January 12, 2010.
The capital city, Port-au-Prince, lost a great percentage of its population - adults and children - though many children were left orphaned as a result and many of them are on the streets witnessing all manners of crime and, in some cases, being victimized themselves.
I could talk about the adults who lost their lives or who had children perish in the earthquake, but I won't.
I want to focus on Haiti's children and what could possibly become of them.
When the crisis settles down
When the level of crisis settles down in Haiti - which could take weeks or months - a decision will have to be made in what to do with Haiti's remaining orphaned children.
There are so many of them. Even before the earthquake, there were hundreds of thousands of Haitian children in orphanages.
Where can homes be found for so many impressionable children?
Many children wander the streets, seeking shelter anywhere!
The United States of America
The United States of America is known to be the richest country in the world. It has a large population and boasts an enormous amount of land. In addition, there are many Christian families into which Haitian orphans could be adopted, a factor which weighs heavily in decisions made by Haitian orphanages when finding placement for children.
Yes, Haiti's children could eventually be adopted into American families. They could be close to their roots and become immersed into the English or Spanish language, depending upon their location. It's also a possibility that they could end up in states with fault-zones and suffer another earthquake, or two, during their lives. Who can say it won't happen?
Photo credit: Neotorama.com
What about Canada?
However, the other alternative which makes more sense is to place them in Canada. Though the population is not as great as that of the United States of America, it boasts a greater amount of land, per capita, and it is rich enough to accommodate its citizens.
Furthermore, the greatest Haitian population living abroad lives in Quebec, Canada - boasting a Haitian population of between 80,000 to 100,000. That's right! Haitian's orphans could easily become sheltered in their midst and wouldn't have to struggle with learning a new language, nor struggle to survive on the streets.
They could retain elements of their culture and learn about other traditions as they grow. They would grow to learn that their new families had escaped the clutches of Haitian poverty, which would lend them a greater sense of hope for the future.
Photo credit: The Dead Parrot.com.
Ultimately, the important element is for children to find families in which they can be nurtured and loved, in which they can feel a sense of security.
A beautiful Haitian girl with soulful eyes
If you HAD to choose
For the purpose of this lens, if you had to choose either the United States or Canada to take these children in, which country would it be?
Where Should Haiti's Children Go?
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