In times of great chaos,there are always people lurching amidst the ruins looking to reep the spoils amidst the rubble. For the displaced nation of Haiti, it is the children who are the most vulnerable. Although many people were outraged at the fact that 8 Americans were jailed for trying to help Haitian children to an orphanage in the Dominican Republic, I released a sigh of relief that some sort of provisions are being taken to protect these children and their rights.
With so many lost, abandoned, and orphaned children, there is a great risk of losing a lot of the culture of Haiti. If a significant percentage of these children are taken away from Haiti there is a possibility that they will be presented with opportunities that would not be available to them in Haiti; however, there is also the possibility that they will be exploited as slaves. With each child that is taken out of Haiti to pursue “safer and more fruitful lives,” you are taking a piece of their history, their culture, and creating a generational rift in their history. This absence of a generation has the potential to greatly effect traditions that should be passed down, population, politics, family dynamics, and countless other parts of culture.
I strongly believe that it is necessary to protect these children by preserving their families as well as their culture. It is not up to us as Americans to decide what is best and impose our cultural values upon these people but to aid these people in rebuilding a nation that they are proud of. Long after the cameras have left and Haiti begins the arduous process of rebuilding their country, the decisions that are made will begin to show the effects on this country. We are not just changing the lives of children, but we are changing the course of a nation.
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