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| The biggest problem in Port au
Prince is that rural Haiti offers little education and little
employment. It is a common finding for youth as young as ten
years old to seek employment. Sometimes they are sent to work
or sold by family to work as child labourers in Port au Prince.
They are required to work from early in the morning to late
at night. After a while these children run away and make up
the “street rat” population. These are gangs of
children who are homeless and live in dire conditions. They
are also exploited by political sectors and become armed street
gangs. |
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Jenny Tryhane diverted to highlight
the severity of criminal activity in Haiti. She noted that she
was told that there was some improvement with the rate of kidnapping
which has reduced from eighty kidnappings per month in December
2006. |
Jenny Tryhane went on to describe the challenges
United Caribbean Trust is faced with as it seeks to effect the situation
in rural Haiti. She noted that while she is conscious of the fact
that there are no over night solutions, she is hopeful that there
will be increments of change resulting in great change for the next
generation of Haitians.
| "The problem needs to be addressed
in rural Haiti. UCT needs to get sponsorship to educate children
in Jacmel and offer vocational training so they would not run
to Port au Prince. This is the key reason for the child sponsorship
programme, which is facilitated by the shoebox project- the
conduit into Haiti. |
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When we go in with the shoeboxes
it offers an opportunity to photograph and document children.
Of course, it is an opportunity for children in Barbados to
share, give and experience the true reason for Christmas."
She added, "The long term objective is the child sponsorship
with is US$30 a month. The thirty dollars is subdivided into
education, family empowerment, and after school club",
Jenny explained. |
It was not an easy journey for the shoebox project,
as it took many months of preparation and soliciting assistance.
There are also a number of people Tryhane noted played an integral
part in the Christmas project and she expressed sincere appreciation
for their assistance.
It was a struggle to get boxes to Haiti. We are
so grateful to Amerijet who gave us a fifty- percent discount and
to Big P Packaging and Brokerage for handling everything free of
cost. I am also extremely thankful to General Distributors for donating
toothbrushes, Stokes and Bynoe for donating the soap, SBI Distribution
for donating the toothpaste, Brydens for donating the pens CCC for
hundreds of sweets and Laurie Dash for the hundreds of balloons”.
In addition, the struggle continued after they arrived
in Haiti as Jenny explained, “" We had a serious challenge
getting the boxes out of customs in Haiti. In took four days back
and forth from customs to get the boxes out. Bare in mind it takes
four hours to get there."
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All the hard work and struggles
paid off as Jenny noted with excitement...
“We had three wonderful Christmas parties
in Jacmel. We had a programme with skits, puppets, drama etcetera.
We also fed approximately four hundred people in Jacmel at
the Christmas party.” |
| Another highlight of the visit
to Haiti was when the football
team in Morne Oge, pulled together by the Restoration sports
evangelism team, received their football socks compliments of
Sports and Games thereby completing their team uniforms.
This same team was previously sponsored football kits (uniforms)
by Purity in the summer. Jenny added, “ "This team
also won the tournament held in the summer." The trophies
for the tournament were donated compliments of Sewing World,
Cave Shepherd donated the nets for the field and Just Sports
donated two footballs”. |
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She also expressed special thanks
to all the children of Barbados who helped packed shoeboxes. |
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She also thanked civic, corporate Barbados
and all those who contributed financially and as helping hands.
A special thanks to DaCosta Manning for donating
the warehouse where most of the work was done. |
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