6/5/2019 Jonathan Mondesir Synthesis Argument Essay.

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Jonathan Mondesir
Synthesis Argument Essay
06/03/2019

Haiti is one of the poorest countries in the world. After a devastating earthquake, it only got

worse. The already poverty-stricken country now faced even more struggles. The earthquake

damaged the ports, airports, and roads making it hard to save any of the victims. Many people died.

Many parents were left without resources, homes, and jobs. Many children were left without

parents. There was an estimated total of one million orphans after the earthquake in 2010 (Haiti's

Orphanages - So Many Children). The total number now is 32,000. So, the question is, where did

all the orphans go? The thought is that Haiti has a dirty secret and they have been sold to slavery.

There are approximately 760 orphanages in Haiti. Less than 15% of the orphanages are

officially registered (Haiti). Many of the orphanages are terrible. Some are tarp covered huts that

have dirt floors. The people who are supposed to support these children and give them their basic

needs are not doing so. There are extreme conditions where the children receive no food, no health

services, no education, and are neglected and abused. Parents have been tricked into selling their

child with the promise of a good future. Some are even subjected to human trafficking.

Not all the children are technically orphans. Some have one living parent. This parent is

unable to take care of the child because of little to no income and having multiple children to

support. Some parents have thought they were giving their child to an orphanage that would help

them, support them, feed them, and give them a better life, when only the child was sold into

slavery to be a domestic servant. Domestic servants in Haiti are called restaveks. The outcome for

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restaveks looks grim in terms of being exposed to violence, including sexual violence. These

children suffer emotional and physical abuse as well (Research Brief: Haitian Children Who Are

Domestic Servants Are Vulnerable to Violence).

They do not have access to their families, friends, or school. They are completely deprived

of children’s rights to play, express joy, be with their parents and siblings, and to not endure harsh

violence.

My mother dedicated her life to a legit orphanage called The Action Center for

Development (CAD). It has been active since 1992 and remains faithful to its noble mission. Their

mission is to offer a just and humane society for disregarded people such as, street children,

children in domestic service, orphans. They serve 75-90 children that are between the ages 7-14

years old (Mondesir, Marline). They provide morally, materially, and psychologic services to

children. By developing a partnership with other organizations, CAD helps children in vulnerable

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situations by providing professional services such as, counseling, reintegration into society,

protection, food assistance, education, and medical.

CAD provides training and education for the children in the community of Ganthier,

Malpasse and the surrounding area. They established an accelerated school for the over-aged. They

train students on skills in sewing, cosmetology, computer science, electrical building. And auto

mechanics. They provide children with a regular, well balanced diet. CAD facilitates access to

health care for all children and provide medical follow-up for children with specific illnesses

(Mondesir, Marline). They create a healthy environment where they teach and raise awareness to

hygiene. A drinking water system was put into place to ensure safe drinking water.

The challenges they face are not having enough housing for the number of children in need

and enough funding. They look for outside sources and government support. Because of other

organizations abusing children and claiming to help, it makes people sketchy on donating their time

and money. CAD continues to reach out to potential donors and continues to advocate for the

voices not being heard.

It is important to have organizations that will serve and protect the Haitian children.

Without support and real orphanages, the youth of Haiti is at a major risk. Children should never

have to go through the pain of losing a parent never mind the after possible after effects of being

placed in the wrong orphanage. We need to support funding for community development and

family protection programs. All children should have access to their basic needs, education, clean

water, activities, and income generating training. No one should be subjected to be a slave, a victim

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of violence, or worse human trafficking. We should help keep children with their families, not into

fake orphanages, whose goals are to profit from selling a child.

Works Cited

“Haiti.” Lumos, www.wearelumos.org/where-we-work/haiti/.

“Haiti's Orphanages - So Many Children.” Love A Child, 28 Mar. 2019,

loveachild.com/2016/11/haitis-orphanages-many-children/.

Mondesir, Marline. “Centre D'Action Pour Le Developpement (CAD) or Center of Action for

Development.” Haiti1Stop RSS, haiti1stop.com/blog/Local Organizations/centre-

d’action-pour-le-developpement-cad-or-center-of-action-for-development/.

“Research Brief: Haitian Children Who Are Domestic Servants Are Vulnerable to Violence

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 8

Nov. 2018, www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/childabuseandneglect/vacs/haitianchildren-

domesticservants.html.

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