Nowhere To Run

After seeing this Los Angeles Times article, it is safe to say that females (as young as 5 years old and maybe younger) in Haiti have lost all sense of humanity. Women, adolescent girls and little girls are being stalked like prey in the displacement camps. It is upsetting to read that after a teenaged girl went to the police to report what happened to her, the officer told her that the reason she was raped was because she was "in heat". That phrase is only ever used in reference to animals and to see it referencing a young girl is appalling.

Who are these women supposed to run to for help? There is practically no security in the camps and the local law enforcement doesn't seem to be able to help (when they are even willing to). The only option that the women of Haiti have is to defend themselves.

There are organizations in Haiti that help with self defense and provide help with general well being, but there are very few of them and there is only so much that they can do. 

This is an opportunity for us to reach out and help a country that is desperately in need of it. People tend to be more concerned about helping the people in their own communities, and that is commendable, but there is something special about helping people that you have never met before.


Written By:
Regine Riviere

There's Always a Choice, Right?

Young women living in the displacement camps in Haiti are finding themselves with new and unexpected responsibilities. Whether having been a rape victim or having suffered the loss of a parental figure, these young women are now taking on the role of "Provider". Believing that they have no other option, these young women resort to prostituting themselves in order to provide for whatever family they have left.

In the United States and in other countries, prostitution and other similar activities are frowned upon, and the women who engage in these activities are told that they always have a choice. Could we really say the same to the young women in Haiti?

Please watch this interview with three young Haitian women who felt that they did not have a choice.

We are looking forward to the day when these young women not only have a choice, but have the opportunity to create whatever they would like for their future and see their dreams come alive.



Written By
Regine Riviere

Hygiene Kit Distribution

This video is a great example of how wonderful things can happen when people come together to support a cause. The victims of the January 12th earthquake lost more than their homes; they lost the ability to provide their families with things that are essential to everyday living. As part of a side project, our goal was to collect hygiene related items to send to the people of Haiti who lost their homes.

We would like to send a big Thank You to Aleck and Gislain Magny for being a blessing to this project and helping us with the distribution of the hygiene kits.

Spread the word, not the virus

Who would have thought that it could take only one day for a country to lose 17 years of progress in its battle against HIV/AIDS?  Not only were the Haitian people receiving medical treatment, but they were also learning how to treat themselves and prevent the spread of the virus.

After the January 12th earthquake, the people of Haiti who suffer from HIV/AIDS lost the ability to seek medical treatment. Along with that, there has been an increasing rate of sexual violence against women and young girls in the settlement camps which increases the spread of the virus exponentially.

You can read the article from the Pilitzer Center to learn more about the spread of HIV/AIDS.

We can all make a difference! Spread the word and raise awareness