30 Jan...1:23p

Matthew 28

Disclaimer:  The following is my (Dave's) opinion and is, largely, the opinion of Team Haiti 2012.

I'm having some difficulty with the administration of the Matthew 28 orphanage.

While it appears to be financially sponsored by a faith-based group in the U.S., it is, supposedly, run "autonomously" by Haitians here in the Bohoc area.

When we got to the orphanage on Saturday, we met a representative of the U.S. sponsoring group.  Quite honestly, I did not particularly like the philosophy communicated by this person.  His "message" did not include a lick about empowering the children at Matthew 28 to, someday, rise above their circumstances.  In my opinion, his attitude seemed a little defeatist.  Here is a paraphrased summary of what he said:  "We're taking care of the children at a level consistent with the lower-levels of care in Haiti.  If we don't do this, these children will grow up and be unable to assimilate effectively back into the impoverished lifestyles and living arrangements of the vast majority of Haitians."

While the situation is, I'm quite sure, complex, the Matthew 28 organization may be an example, at least to an extent, of an instance where money is being tossed at a problem without a solid relationship between the funding group and those running the orphanage.  There appears to be little, if any, accountability.  The U.S. representative told us, among several things, that the kids get three meals a day.  Based on our discussions with one of the older residents yesterday--a resident who'd been living at the orphanage for last fifteen years--the number of meals varies (based on available money) from one a day to, at times, three a day.  We learned that meals are typically comprised of rice and beans and that it's probably been about three months since the kids have had any kind of meat.  We learned also that the consumption of fruit and vegetables is, essentially, non-existent.  There appears to be a definite disconnect between the U.S. organization and the Haitians running the orphanage.  My question is this:  Where's the money going?  And who's watching such things?

Another concern is that the kids at Matthew 28 appear to be almost completely unsupervised.  Of great concern to me, too, are how the older boys and girls (ages 15-22+) are being housed in two buildings right next to each other without visible adult oversight and guidance.  There appears to be A LOT going on there (between the boys/men and girls/women).  And the two, outdoor "community showers" (e.g., open, single-head showers) did not make me feel any better.  On both Saturday and Sunday (yesterday), my internal systems were sounding pretty loudly.  I would not be surprised (and, of course, this may just be me) if some of the really young children at the orphanage "belong" to some of the older girls at the orphanage.

ALSO...it appears that there are some young adults (young men, mostly) from the surrounding areas who, on a regular (perhaps daily) basis, come in (some on their motorcycles) to what seems to be a very open compound "just to hang out with the kids living there."  (??!!)  This all VERY disconcerting to me.

I would like to push for us to be able to continue visiting the kids at Matthew 28 during successive trips, as these kids are quite literally starving for attention, human contact, and the love of God.  I think, though, that we need to have a facilitated discussion with the older kids about love and respect and God and sex and disease and pregnancy.  These discussions would need to be broken-out into male and female sessions, and, as such, would require both a male and a female interpreter.

AND ANOTHER THING...

Where did the 40 additional children, who were at Matthew 28 in April, go? And what about these adults who seem to have free and open access to the children living at the orphanage?  Ummm (and, again, this is just a personal conjecture)...but were some of the "missing" 40 kids taken?  Again, this is all very disconcerting to me.

Please keep all of this in your prayers, my friends.

Dave (On Behalf of Team Haiti 2012)

PS  When we get back this evening, I'll write about today's activities, which have been marvelous so far.  God's peace to all'y'all...