Street Children Again In The News In Sosua

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Ken

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Jan 1, 2002
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From today's Sosua News:

[h=5]The last few weeks we see more and more children, mostly boys between 5 and 12 years on the streets at night again, begging. The commander of the tourist police (Politur) in Sos?a, Major Francisco A. Rodr?guez Rodr?guez has ordered his police officers to get the children off the streets. The children are first temporarily housed in an orphanage while the police tries to trace their parents. The parents then get told that they have to raise their children well and are not allowed to send them out begging. If the police encounters the children more often, their parents will be severely fined.[/h]
[h=5]For children for whom the parents or guardians can not to be traced, another solution has to be figured out.[/h]
 
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chrisgy

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Ken said:
From today's Sosua News:
For children for whom the parents or guardians can not to be traced, another solution has to be figured out.
Click to expand...

They don't even pretend to know that they have a solution...
 
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LindseyKaufman

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Aug 21, 2007
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Just how can they fine people who have nothing? That is why the parents send the children onto the streets in the first place.

Foolish police.

Lindsey
 
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Ken

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LindseyKaufman said:
Just how can they fine people who have nothing? That is why the parents send the children onto the streets in the first place.

Foolish police.

Lindsey
Click to expand...

"Foolish police" may be a little unfair. I have some sympathy for the police on this. They are pressured, I'm sure, by government officials to get the children off the streets but they are not offered any good options for what to do with the children or ways of keeping them from going back out on the streets the next night.

This problem is not going to be solved by the police. They can get the children off the streets. Some other agency or organization has to take it from there.
 
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Ken

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Derfish said:
Perhaps the police or the city at large could be convinced to fund Project Isobel. She has a place, just outside of Sosua and the willingness to care for quite a few kids. if she had the funding.
Der Fish
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I doubt that the police or city of Sosua have the resources. They are dependent on the central government for most of their funds. In fact, there was an item, I think in the DR1 news summary this week, saying that local government officials and employees not yet paid for January because money not yet sent form Santo Domingo.
 
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LindseyKaufman

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Ken said:
"Foolish police" may be a little unfair. I have some sympathy for the police on this. They are pressured, I'm sure, by government officials to get the children off the streets but they are not offered any good options for what to do with the children or ways of keeping them from going back out on the streets the next night.

This problem is not going to be solved by the police. They can get the children off the streets. Some other agency or organization has to take it from there.
Click to expand...

Okay, Ken. Perhaps my response was not thought out. If the powers that be want a real solution to the problem, they should have a meeting with the various NGO's, missions, churches, and volunteer groups on the North Coast. Ask them for suggestions for solutions. See what resources they are able to offer. Have the groups help determine who the children are, where their families live, and if any groups are currently providing services in their areas. You would be surprised to know how many organizations are providing various ongoing services in the areas of extreme poverty....... feeding programs, free medical clinics, schooling, etc.

A real solution will only be made possible by those who work with this population, know what is available, what is possible, and what the people will accept.

Lindsey
 
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Kyle

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Jun 2, 2006
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why not just check all the tourists for their mothers ? i'm sure they're in one of the hotels or discotecas.......:ermm:
 
NALs

NALs

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Jan 20, 2003
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Or in Haiti...

There are several criminal gangs that kidnap/get the consent from their parents in Haiti with false promises, and then once the kids are on the Dominican side, force the kids to beg or prostitute themselves. Often times they are badly treated by the gang leaders and all their money is taken away.

Such gangs have been disbanded by the police in Santo Domingo, quite sure others exist in the rest of the country.
 
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Isobel

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We at Project Isobel have the space and expertise for 10 of them if sponsors will make themselves known by PM. We will give them a future and the care they need to grow up into useful, functioning adults. It costs between 200 and 250 US$ a month to take care of and educate each child [including hidden costs] in this country. The more people who contribute the less of a load it is on a few socially conscious individuals. How can you help??? Will you be one of those prepared to make a long term commitment to a child's future rather than one of those who always says something should be done but does nothing about it?
 
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Isobel

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This is certainly true and it doesn't help when tourists give these children large sums of money because they feel sorry for them. Buy them food; buy them a drink; give them clothes or footwear by all means, but you only perpetuate the problem for the kids otherwise. Even clothes and shoes they can sell, but at least that develops some business sense in them.
 
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