Plas Timoun: Helping Haiti's Kiddos

Photo Credit: Plas Timoun

Since Haiti's devastating earthquake on January 12th, the country is continuing on a path of snail-slow recovery. Much of the debris covering the streets remains where it fell earlier this year, and structural rehabilitation hasn't materialized the way that donor nations had pledged it would due to their financial and resource contributions. The United States' Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, pledged $1.5 billion in post-quake reconstruction funds, none of which has been delivered to Haiti. Likewise, international governments had pledged $8.75 billion for reconstruction efforts, and as of today, only 15% has reached the country. Over a billion dollars reached humanitarian organizations  after the earthquake, but these funds were utilized mostly for medical attention and life-saving rescue procedures. As a result, long-term reconstructive efforts have been pushed to the wayside, and much needed infrastructure repair continues to be tied up over legislative red tape in the US Congress.

However, there is a bright spot in Port- Au- Prince, where counselors and teachers are using art to bring a sense of creativity and normalcy to Haiti's kids. Plas Timoun, a psychotherapy rehabilitation center for children operated through Haiti's Ministry of Youth and Sports, is one of two centers working to reach kids suffering from post-traumatic disorder. There, teachers and therapists are slowly reintroducing students to their childhoods through activities such as painting, ceramics, drawing, and music, as a method of comfort and healing to deal with the the trauma they experienced during and after the earthquake. In the words of Haitian First Lady Elisabeth Preval,
The programs have a healing effect on the children's minds as evidenced by their artworks, which have gradually moved from a gloomy to a brighter outlook. With the guidance of experienced trainers, the art activities at Plas Timoun can reflect, and in fact communicate, what is happening in the minds of the children: both their suffering and their dreams for a better future.
Plas Timoun has helped about 900 children, and feeds 2,000 kids daily. In addition to art and music, this refuge gives children safe drinking water, nutrition, and a welcoming place to go during the day.

Currently about the size of Maryland, Haiti was originally colonized by the Spanish, but was ceded to the French Republic in 1697. Due to its prime location in the Caribbean Sea, Haiti was a regional commercial power as a prime trading hub for cane sugar, timber, and slaves. In 1804, Haiti became the first independent black republic, and the second independent state in the Americas. However, since independence, healthy political and economic growth has been stagnated by debilitating challenges, including poverty, natural disasters, political instability, crime, and violence.

Photo Credit: The Washington Post

These immense challenges have prohibited sustainable development, and the earthquake in January highlighted gaping holes in Haiti's infrastructure. Today, in a country of 10 million, 80% of Haitians live below the poverty line, and 2/3 do not have employment within the formal sector. After the earthquake, 1.3 million people were left homeless, including the First Family. Nine months after the earthquake, most of these families are still living in temporary camps. Under conditions like these, it's essential that people continue to provide support for youth, through centers like Plas Timoun.

If you would like to contribute to reconstruction efforts in Haiti, please click here. If you would like to give to Plas Timoun, please click here.