Boys Rehabilitation Center

STATUS: launched January 2006 / ongoing

Providing education, vocational training and counseling for imprisoned delinquent children in order to offer them a second chance.

NEED: Behind the high blue and white stone walls of the Delmas 33 prison complex in Port-au-Prince reside 101 boys who were born in the poorest Haitian slums and are now labeled as criminals and therefore rejected by society. The children, ranging from 10 to 17 years old, were recruited by armed gangs as “soldiers.”

RESPONSE: Yéle Haiti is collaborating with Foundation PRODEV to introduce basic education to the boys in jails and create a rehabilitation center or halfway house for them to go to when they are discharged. These children are victims, not criminals, and need to be given education and protection in order to escape the violence and prevent them from becoming hardened criminals when they are released

Together, they are providing solutions to improve the child prisoner situation in Haiti by turning the prison into a rehabilitation center. The children are still detained, but are being provided with an education and rehabilitation will give them the tools to become productive members of society rather than contributing to future insecurity in Haiti.

Once forgotten and without hope, these boys now have a chance at life through the Boys Rehabilitation Center program which is managed by Foundation PRODEV and partly sponsored by Yéle Haiti. The initial contribution of Yéle Haiti has allowed PRODEV to get the program on its feet, and it has developed into what it is today through the collaboration of the Haitian government; namely the offices of the Prime Minister and the Minister of Social Affairs.

GROUP HOME PROGRAM

Placing former street children who were victims of previous conflicts in a loving and supportive environment, giving them an education and a new chance at life.

NEED: In post conflict areas, many young adolescents and kids are victims of inappropriate behavior, life styles and violence. The lack of adequate housing, parental guidance, education, healthcare services and pro-social activities makes them vulnerable to the ills of the community.

RESPONSE: The Group Home Program is a behavior modification initiative designed to serve the needs of the youth coming from post-conflict areas in Haiti. It is a new alternative for youth with behavior problems, lack of social skills, and family issues. The young adolescent are placed in a new environment that is supportive of their needs. The Group Home program provides housing, caretakers, life-skills mentors, schooling and health care. The overall goal of this program is to produce positive outcomes for the youth and give them the tools to make a positive transition back into society as they grow up.

Currently we have 3 young boys in the Group Home. They also happen to be very talented rap singers and perform under the name "Rasta Babies".

LINK:

Washington Post Article "Haiti's Lost Boys" by Manuel Roig-Franzia

Partners:

Fondation PRODEV

Photo: Wyclef Jean, Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt meet with inmates of the children’s jail for child soldiers in Port-au-Prince on January 13, 2006