Do all human beings deserve a good life?

The Republic of Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. 80% of its population lives below the poverty line and 54% live in abject poverty. It is a country that is smaller than the state of Maryland, which has 28% arable land, yet it subsists on the spare production of the farming industry. Its environment has suffered extreme damage from extensive deforestation and the resulting soil erosion and inadequate supply of potable water .

Of the 8,308,504 people which comprise Haiti’s population, only 3.6 million are in the labor force, and of this figure only 1/3 have formal employment. The population is significantly unskilled and uneducated. Only 52.9% can read and write . Rates of primary school enrollment are a mere 22% for males and 23% for females. Of those that do enroll in school, only 30% of males and 27% of females complete their primary education .

Women and children often bear the brunt of these social and economic disabilities. Poverty leads to poor nutrition and little to no health care. Infant mortality rates are high: 71.65 deaths for every 1,000 live births . Only 24% of births are attended by skilled health staff, and 680 out of every 100,000 live births result in the death of the mother . 5.6% of all Haitians have HIV/AIDS (280,000 people), and Haiti ranks 22nd in the world for HIV/AIDS deaths with 24,000 occurring in 2003 alone . Women often resort to prostitution to support their children. This puts them in high risk of contracting STDs, including HIV/AIDS. Children are orphaned by their mothers’ AIDS-related deaths, and the cycle of infection and death is perpetuated when these children then must support themselves through the sale of their young bodies.

Violence and crime terrorize the country and often claim children as their victims. UNICEF reports that violence is one of the biggest threats to Haiti’s future. “The violence that pervades every level of society hampers any sustainable development,” declared UNICEF Haiti Representative Alberto Gonzalez-Regueral. Driven by desperation, Haitian children resort to prostitution, begging, crime, and joining armed gangs for survival. Haiti’s President Preval has declared, “Children must be taken off the streets. Weapons must be taken from the hands of children and replaced with pens and books. ”

All the Children Are Children, Inc. is fighting for Haiti’s renaissance. ATCAC believes in the country’s strength and in its citizen’s ability to overcome. It was the first black republic to declare its independence in 1804, and it struggled against dictatorship by inaugurating a democratically elected president and parliament in 2006. Haiti is taking progressive steps, but it needs the help of its neighbors to succeed. ATCAC acts as a conduit for change by focusing their efforts on education, health care, and economic development. Through these three avenues, Haitians will be given the tools to change their lives for the better.

For an ample of information, please contact us at the address below:

All the Children are Children,Inc.
%Philocles Desir,CEO
PO Box 51903
Sarasota, Fl 34232
Email: Kidsvoice@netzero.net
www.ATCAC.org