News
Hello from Haiti - 02/12/2009 17:14
Dear all, It seems like a moment ago I was in Uganda and barely touched down in the UK before I was off to Haiti, and I have to say I am pretty exhausted, but it's been an unforgettable week. I'm sitting in a nice hotel with air conditioning, fresh I am here to investigate the Restavek situation of child slaves in homes and the dangers that street children face every day of their young lives. For the first part of the week I was based in Cap-Haitien in the rural north and then here in Port au Prince to First port of call was our partners Carwyn and Reninca Hill, who have been working with disabled children in our House of Blessing in Cap-Haitien. They are doing a fantastic job of transforming people's prejudice towards disabled children. The children are loved, the parents educated and lives are being transformed Carwyn organised meetings for me with the city's leading authorities on children. My mind is so full of information! I have met with the only children's judge in Cap-Haitien (and that's where juvenile justice starts and ends), community leaders, the government directors of social affairs (that was a joke, as It is a situation so dire that many times I wondered if we could ever make a difference. People are so hungry and poor there that they make "cookies" out of mud and sell them as food! The government is so corrupt and disorganised that trying to get them to I met with the directors of international organisations working in Port au Prince (the capital) yesterday and heard about their work. They are excited about the possibility of us working here and are willing to support us on the Restavek issue, which is amazing. With their support and experience we So, I leave Port au Prince now with the intention of returning soon and for Jubilee Action to make a difference to the many children I have met and seen this week. How lucky we are to live in an organised, educated civil society with so much wealth. One thing Bye for now, Caroline...
Visiting Uganda - 26/11/2009 16:16
Irimabe! (Good day!) I have just returned from visiting our youth centre project in Patongo IDP camp in northern Uganda. It wasn't an easy trip but it was so valuable in developing our project there. As you may have already heard, I went out with Henning Stummel, an architect from I also had the opportunity to sit down with David and Agnes (our partners in Uganda) and discuss the actual delivery of the programmes we will be running from the youth centre and other practical details. Naturally, the highlight of the visit was meeting the youth of Patongo. We gathered At the end of the workshop, some of the child mothers and the former child soldiers did a few songs and a drama for us. It was really incredibly moving to hear how they felt about their experiences, and they had even written a song welcoming the building of the...
Rescue Mission - 04/11/2009 15:49
886 children rescued from prostitution.510 pimps and madams convicted.These statistics markedly demonstrate the successes of the Innocence Lost National Initiative across the USA. Since its inception in 2003, the FBI has been working tirelessly in conjunction with the Department of Justice and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children...
Prayer Diary - 04/11/2009 14:54
"If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer" – Matthew 21:22As a Christian organisation, we are firm believers in the power of prayer. We work tirelessly day in day out to right the injustices which plague children round the world. But we know that our best...
Child slaves in Haiti - 19/10/2009 15:42
This year, we have started a new project in Haiti, rescuing disabled and abandoned children. We are so pleased that we have been able to help 35 children already in the first few months. From our work in Haiti, we have come across a horrific problem which is rarely heard For years, the restavek system has encouraged children from large impoverished families to be sent by their parents to a better life with wealthier families in the city, and a promise of education, food, and housing in return for light housework. The reality is quite different. The housework chores are Some restaveks may be trafficked across the border to the Dominican Republic, where they are likely to be sold either as prostitutes or as slave labour on the sugar plantations. Others may be so ill-treated that they choose to run away and live on the streets. The streets of Haiti Disabled children are among the most vulnerable on Haiti's streets. Often abandoned by their families and seen as worthless, they have nowhere to go. Our project rescues them from these dangers and, where possible, work together with their families so the child can get the best available care. Please, help...
