Every Child Matters and
UCT is keen to support the well-being of children and young people
in Haiti from birth to age 18.
It is our aim for every Haitian
child, whatever their background or their circumstances, to have
the support they need to:
Be
healthy
Enjoy life
Stay
safe
Achieve economic well-being
Forge safe connections
Encourage
a positive contribution to society
An estimated
300 million children worldwide are subjected to violence,
exploitation and abuse including the worst forms of child
labor in communities, schools and institutions; during armed
conflict; and to harmful practices such as female genital
mutilation/cutting and child marriage.
Millions more, not yet victims,
also remain without adequate protection.
Protecting children
from violence, exploitation and abuse is an integral component
of protecting their rights to survival, growth and development.
A protective environment is
about living in safety and dignity. It helps to ensure that
children are in school, laws are in place to punish those
who exploit children, governments are truly committed to protection,
communities are aware of the risks which children face, civil
society addresses certain “taboo” issues and monitoring is
in place to identify children who are at risk of exploitation.
PORT-AU-PRINCE, 24 February 2004
– UNICEF said today that the violence in Haiti has sent the
country’s impoverished health and education systems into a
spiral that is threatening the lives of thousands of Haitian children.
Speaking from Port-au-Prince, UNICEF’s representative in Haiti,
Ms. Francoise Gruloos, said she is deeply concerned that thousands
of Haitian children can no longer access basic public services.
“Children are always the most
vulnerable in conflict situations,” Ms. Gruloos said. “And
Haiti’s children were already extremely vulnerable. We need
to make sure these children are protected and not forgotten amidst
the civil disorder.” <
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Children
will never be free from exploitation until all levels of society—from
the family, church, scchool and the international community—work
together.
When any of the layers of
the protective environment is stripped away, a child becomes
more vulnerable to exploitation, abuse and violence.
Our
vision is to raise up godly leaders in Haiti through health
and education to strengthen their families, communities and
country; bringing relief of poverty and stimulating the economy;
and to preach the Gospel so that lives will be saved and transformed
for the betterment of Haiti.
