reconsider the orphanage system, PART I

Because I'm a social worker, my view of Haiti is through a very specific lens. I was taught to examine all problems as a part of a system. Micro, macro and mezzo systems. Macro is my favorite system to examine, and that is why I love working in Haiti, because the macro system is the craziest part of all. There isn't a macro system- there is a macro mess.

Today marks the 5th year anniversary of Haiti's earthquake. I wasn't in Haiti then. I just recently got here, but I've climbed through rubble that remains, and I serve families still living in tent cities. I have been to many of the organizations, orphanages and government facilities that work to aid Haitians through their continued plight.

A systemic change I would like to see in Haiti is the development of an alternative to orphanage care. That's what we are working on. That's what our blood, sweat and tears are going toward...

RECONSIDER THE ORPHANAGE MODEL. Part 1

My Social Workers and I went to 23 orphanages in 2014. By the 23rd orphanage, they were angry, worried, confused and begging me for an alternative solution. My social workers are educated Haitian men with the passion and skills to bring change. My first experiences with orphanages in Haiti, were also their first experiences and it was much harder on them than it was on me. I learned quickly that the first trip to a "bad orphanage" mandated a long one on one meeting with me to process.

And what they were all saying during these meetings was: "All those kids have families. They are not better off there. Is there someone we can call to stop this? Why is my country letting this happen?"

What constitutes a bad orphanage? children are hungry, children are malnourished. children uneducated, disabled children are neglected and dying, children are abused sexually and physically, children sleeping on floors, children institutionalized from their families and communities due to parental poverty.

These orphanages are rampant, and you shouldn't try to save them with American money- it's not going to work.
I train, supervise and teach social work to Haitians. In return- they train and teach me Haiti.
My social workers know their country better than any of us ever could.
And my social workers hate your orphanages. Systemically speaking.
Here's what they've taught me:
The ONLY resource Haitians have is: FAMILY. That's all, folks. If you ain't got your family, your screwed. So, what do you expect to come of all these kids that grew up locked behind a gate if we don't maintain their connections to their families?

Family and community are what makes HUMANITY.
Using orphanages as a system to aid and solve poverty literally sucks for humanity.

Case example:
A mom is completely broke and her son is starving. She comes to you and begs you to help feed her child. You roll your eyes at her but take her son and raise him locked behind a gate his entire life. He never sees his family again. He develops his personality based on dependency and institutionalization. He learns affection is random white people who come through to hug him 4 times a year and bring him candy, clothes, balls and shoes. Then when he turns 18- the gates are opened to the ridiculously crazy streets of his country that he doesn't understand or have skills to thrive in. And once again, the only people who would have helped him in this situation: his family... are long gone. Because we rolled our eyes at the mom and took her sweet little brown eyed boy all for ourselves.

This is creating macro level problems.

The thing that haunts me and my social workers the most are the amount of orphanages functioning in Haiti. We got some very rough estimates.

In August of 2014, I met with the director of Food for the Poor, and in exchange for trained social workers I asked her to give me one number: "How many orphanages are there in Haiti?"

She looked surprised by my audacity, put on a poker face and said: "There are 250 licensed orphanages in Haiti. I will let you draw your own conclusions on how many are unlicensed. I will let you come up with your own total."

By that day I had toured 18 orphanages, six were licensed. After that day, we made it to five more, one of which was licensed.

So my small sample equation: 7/23=250/x
Are there 821 orphanages in Haiti? I would NOT be surprised. They. Are. Everywhere.

The most important number to leave you with as you begin to reconsider using orphanages to help the poor of Haiti is this: Between 70-90% of the children living in orphanages HAVE FAMILY LIVING IN THE COMMUNITY.
The children being adopted- HAVE FAMILY LIVING IN THE COMMUNITY.

That's Part 1.