"They're Never Paid"

"The reality is the children are mistreated, undernourished, poorly housed and overworked.  They are separated from their families and cut-off from communication with them.  They're never paid.  They usually work until they're 18 or 19 when they leave the family and become street people, and many of the females extend their misery by becoming pregnant.  Or they get passed from family to family and live an uncertain life.

"Seventy-percent of our students are girls.  They're poor people working for poor people.  They work in the morning when children of the family go to school. Thev have to be there during the day because there are no other children around to do house work.  That’s why we hold classes in the afternoons, so our students can come here when the children of the family return home.”

"We create a family-like atmosphere at the school.  We concentrate on attention, family and affection.  The children come in the afternoon for two or three hours, and we surround them with support.  We teach them to read and to write, and skills like arts and crafts.  We try to give them an opportunity for tomorrow.

"Some of the kids are regularly beaten by the families they work for.  But when they walk into the school, right away they recognize it's a different environment from where they're coming from.  The child is received with love here.  The child comes here numb.  They're in a form of slavery.  Within four months of enrollment, our results are visible in the appearance of the kids.  They're happier and more relaxed.  The school doesn't cost them anything, and we feed them, as well," said Jean-Baptiste.  He added: "We defend the rights of children and we do not stand idly by."

Despite her extreme hardships, Celine may have found in Father Jean-Baptiste's school precisely the opportunity her family hoped she would find in Port-au-Prince.

"I like this school because I like to learn," Celine said. "My favorite courses are reading and writing."

This article first appeared in “thursday’s child,” which is published by the U.S. Committee for UNICEF, where Slavin works as a staff writer.  The Committee’s website address is www.unicefusa.org.

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