Children in Haiti

There have been a few natural disasters that have really rocked us in the last few years but one that never seemed to end was the earthquake in Haiti.  The earthquake itself brought about dire situations and orphaned many children but it also brought to my attention that these children were living with stressors that most adults are not equipped to handle.  Even before the earthquake 500,000+ children were homeless and orphaned. These children wondered the streets wanting to work, wanting to go to school, raising themselves the best they could.  There is a program called Independent Lens that did a heartbreaking piece on these children as they talked about their lives before the quake.  Some of the stressors I see for these children include poverty, isolation, hunger, disease, violence, and utter choas as they navigate the streets.

There are several programs set up to help the children including Hope for Haiti's Children and Save the Children, as well as US policies that are provided some relief.

Resources
http://hopeforhaitischildren.org

http://www.savethechildren.org/site/c.8rKLIXMGIpI4E/b.6151435/k.B1C9/Haiti.htm

Hammond, A. (Writer).  (2010).  Independent Lens:  Children of Haiti. [Television series].  New York, NY: Strange Things Productions, LLC.