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Help stop Haitian officials from trafficking orphans

I have some news that I need your help in distributing:   Backed by corrupt government officials, an orphanage we work with in Carrefour/Port-au-Prince, Haiti has been trafficking its orphans.   Suspecting foul play, we’ve been investigating for the last year. We’ve not been read…
By Seth Barnes
By Seth Barnes
I have some news that I need your help in distributing:
 
Backed by corrupt government officials, an orphanage we work with in Carrefour/Port-au-Prince, Haiti has been trafficking its orphans.
 
Suspecting foul play, we’ve been investigating for the last year. We’ve not been ready to go to the media until we had the facts.
 
As a result, the orphanage director is now in jail, but the 75 children left in the orphanage are still in danger. A worker said, “The kids are in terrible condition – the doctor gave them some prescriptions, but we doubt that the medicine will ever be administered to the children. Instead, the medicine will probably be sold.”
 
The problem is that those running the orphanage are still protected by corrupt government officials. Our goal is to get this information to media outlets in order to put pressure on the government to protect the kids.
 
An AIM staff member just returned from Haiti and filed this report:
The situation at the orphanage is an EMERGENCY right now as kids are sick and dying and still disappearing.  We’re trying to mobilize any connections in politics and media to expose the corruption and put an end to it.  The lead investigator, said we “hit the jackpot of corruption.”
 
What we’ve discovered:
 •    Food gets donated to SOG orphanage, but disappears very quickly, while children remain malnourished.
•    Reports by the children of physical abuse by orphanage workers.

•    Reports by the children of sexual abuse by orphanage workers.

•    Clothing when donated, instead of going to orphans, gets sold.
•    Dozens of children have disappeared.

Another report about Katia illustrates the urgency we feel:
One five year-old girl, Katia was in the worst condition I have seen of any of the kids. A couple of months ago she had mumps from head to toe; a month later she was in a body cast that covered her from her waist to her feet. When he found her on Saturday she had an extremely high fever and like all of the other children – horrible skin conditions. She was lying on a bench and someone moved a bench towards her but she didn’t have the energy to move out of the way. She has lost most of her weight and she couldn’t even lift her head. After pleading with the “caretakers” of the orphanage, they released her to let us take her to a local medical clinic.

The doctor at the clinic examined her and determined that the infections are destroying her; she is nearing death. She only weighed 14 pounds. He told us that if she doesn’t get proper care right away she will die of infections and malnutrition. He gave us a prescription and orders to give her a high protein drink and medicine three times a day for the next two weeks.

Recent reports indicate Katia now weighs a mere 11 pounds.

We can’t waste any time as the kids are in serious jeopardy right now. I have the complete file and can email it to you if you’ll contact me by email. Please distribute this blog by twitter. Use these hashtags: #cnnfreedom, #endslavery, #not_for_sale

You can also sign this petition.  We are petitioning CNN to bring their international media voice and passion for ending slavery into the Son of God Orphanage. Please urge CNN to expose the corruption within the Haitian government, and allow international organizations to secure the children from the child traffickers who are now controlling the orphanage.
 
Thanks for caring.

Comments (23)

  • Seth,
    I lead a group of high school students to this orphanage in the summer of 2010. Most of our ministry was to these kids. Is there anything we/they can do?

  • this breaks me. i spent some time in haiti after high school and the country captured my heart. spreading the word as much as possible…

  • Have you considered starting a change.org petition? I’m not sure who you would direct it to, but those petitions have made incredible impacts around the world. Maybe it would gain some attention?

  • I’ve been monitoring this story for a while. Thanks for how you’ve handled it. Let’s see if we can rally the right resources to make something happen.

  • I was at SOG and i was horrified at the living status of those
    wonderful kids.. God Bless them and protect them all.

  • There are many worthy pursuits in Haiti. One being, “Hope of the Hungry” which is operating an orphanage in Haiti. This work was founded by Bro. Dan Kirkley, a friend of mine.

    Pray for these children and that God will continue to bless this ministry.

  • As Americans, when we hear about something like this it is difficult to accept or even imagine because it is so far outside of our experience. Well, this IS happening. The only thing even worse than the evils done to these kids is when it is done by taking advantage of the good intentions of the people who are trying to help. This is evil times two; we have an obligation to stand up and do something about it.

  • This is a beautiful way of stopping this ! High five to megan, and to everyone who had anything to do with this, this is a great idea !!! Those people are sick, and can never get away with this, not with the hard work youve put into it !

    Much love all the way from Haiti,
    Jess

    Megan you’re my hero !!! 🙂 so proud !

  • The main thing we need to do at present is to bring enough pressure to bear on the gov’t officials that they will allow the children to be cared for.

    Thanks for helping!

  • I was in Haiti twice this year; however was not at SOG due to the investigation. Has anyone been in touch with International Justice Mission? I would be happy to take the lead on this. Let me know what I can do. My heart breaks for those being trafficked. Praying like crazy for the children and traffickers!

  • I’ve been to Haiti twice back in the early 80’s and I have such a heart for the people. I will be following up on Jeff Goins’ suggestions: I signed the petition, I’ve tweeted about it (and now follow you), and I’m going to write a blog post about it referencing this post. Keep pushing! We need to save those kids!

  • Thank you for exposing and educating. Just returned from Haiti mission trip. More than 500,000 children are orphans according to 2008 stats. Half of the population , 5 million people, are under the age of 15 years old. Unemployment rate is 80%. Most live on less than $1 a day. The country is controlled by witchcraft and corruption – evil. Please pray that the hand of God moves quickly over these people and that they find Jezi [Jesus] – their only salvation. Keep exposing these crimes and please forward this website and others so everyone will know. AidHaitiChildren.org supports the American founded Destiny Village Orphanage, [destinyvillage.org] in Haiti. Please offer your support so that they may continue providing the Love of Jesus, food, and shelter to these precious children. Thank you Seth Barnes, God Bless and thank you Destiny Village.

  • Thank you for this post. I was at SOG last winter with Ryan Bodine and
    Steve Hammonds and have had several conversations with Steve about the
    place subsequently. I was convinced at the time, and have never shaken the
    sense, that there was evil afoot there.

    I will do anything to help the remaining children. I am so in love with these children, and I know from previous conversations with members of your staff, that if you blogged this it is more desperate than ever at SOG.

    God, help them; they are your little ones. Use us to be their voice.

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Seth Barnes

I'm motivated to join God in his global reclamation project. He's on the move, setting his sons and daughters free from their places of captivity. And he's partnering with those of us who have been freed to go and free others.



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