In search of the 33

In 2010, a 7.0 magnitude earthquake struck Haiti, the poorest country in the Americas, killing over 220,000 people and displacing more than 1.5 million. In the days following the catastrophe, 33 children abducted by American missionaries were rescued by authorities and then taken to a safe shelter, SOS Children’s Villages Haiti.

The American missionaries falsely promised parents that they would bring their children to safety in the Dominican Republic for a short period of time. However, the missionaries were planning to take the 33 children to an orphanage. With no legal documentation for children, the group was stopped at the Dominican border.

Kesnel is the father of two daughters and depends on agriculture to provide for his family. He says the only help his family ever received was from foreigners, who organised summer camps and other activities for the children. Kesnel claims that was why he entrusted the missionaries with his kids.

“The missionaries asked us to grant them permission to take the children. We thought it was for only a few days. It was after we heard they were blocked at the border, that we worried a lot. Back then the situation was not good at all for us. We were looking for the light at the end of the tunnel,” he states.

Paulimé explains that after the earthquake her house collapsed and her family was living on the streets. It was at that moment when the missionaries came and offered assistance: “They saw our situation. We were sleeping on the street; we did not even have blankets. They came and asked if they could help the kids and take them to Santo Domingo [the capital of Dominican Republic]. We felt we needed to let them go because things were not good. We could not feed them; we could not do anything for them”.

That was how the missionaries took Kesnel and Paulimé’s children, among other kids, and headed to the border. A few days later, the authorities detained the American missionaries and accused them of kidnapping the children. The children were immediately sent to SOS Children’s Villages where SOS families cared for them until reunification with their parents was possible.

Family reunification

Around 400 kids arrived at SOS Children’s Village Santo after the earthquake. The majority of these children were reunited with their families once the emergency was over. Some of the families continue to receive assistance from SOS Children’s Villages, to ensure that the children have enough to eat and can go to school. Rosita Declama, a family facilitator, explains how the children were reunited with their families.

“Once they got here, there were a lot of kids in each house. We welcomed them and supported them as fast as possible. In each house, they were fed; the kids that were wounded were given care. There were some that had malnutrition problems and they were sent to a dispensary or the hospital,” she added.

For all the children who came to the SOS Children’s Village after the earthquake, the family reunification process involved the state, the police, social welfare and other official agencies.

Canadian's wishing to support SOS Children's Villages are encouraged to sponsor a child, sponsor a village or to make a direct donation. Your support ensures that SOS Children's Villages can continue to provide a safe and loving home to orphan and abandoned children worldwide.