This CNN report tells the story of one of our children.
A HOME FOR AT-RISK CHILDREN
The children in our care vary in age from toddlers to young adults and we strive to give them a better future than they could have imagined. Many of these kids lost one or both parents in a catastrophe, like Haiti’s 2010 earthquake, or from disease. Some kids are dropped off by the Haitian social services department, some are the survivors of human trafficking schemes, and some are mentally disabled. Some “social orphans” were abandoned by young mothers or even rejected by their families for accepting Christ.
We value family preservation and the vast majority of kids who attend GVCM’s schools and churches have loving families. However, there are no easy answers for the kids in our care. If it were not for our orphanage, many of these children would either be on the streets or serving a Haitian family as an unpaid domestic servant called a “restavek” – an arrangement which in many cases is little different from slavery.
Our orphanage is registered with the Haitian government and we maintain a full-time, professional social worker who is trained to evaluate the circumstances of children we consider taking in. If their situation changes or a suitable home becomes available with a relative, we are happy to reintegrate them. If it doesn’t, we provide them with an education, trade skills, and, most importantly, introduce them to God’s love.
We value family preservation and the vast majority of kids who attend GVCM’s schools and churches have loving families. However, there are no easy answers for the kids in our care. If it were not for our orphanage, many of these children would either be on the streets or serving a Haitian family as an unpaid domestic servant called a “restavek” – an arrangement which in many cases is little different from slavery.
Our orphanage is registered with the Haitian government and we maintain a full-time, professional social worker who is trained to evaluate the circumstances of children we consider taking in. If their situation changes or a suitable home becomes available with a relative, we are happy to reintegrate them. If it doesn’t, we provide them with an education, trade skills, and, most importantly, introduce them to God’s love.
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