I would give away my son again, says father of abducted child

posted on: Feb 8 2010 8:59 by Royston. Viewed 191 times.


"I would give my son away again, Ansitho deserves a better life than us," Anchello Cantave, a farmer from Callebasse, East of Port au Prince, said as he spoke about his 5 year old son allegedly abducted along with 32 others, by the 10 Americans from the Baptist mission based in Idaho.

Buried in debris and misfortune, Callebasse residents were visited by the missionaries two days after the earthquake on Jan. 12. About 50 homes had collapsed in this mountain village and Cantave says that most parents agreed with the suggestion that the Americans should take some of their children for a better life in another country.

Cantave, 36, is convinced of the goodwill of the 10 Americans imprisoned in Haiti for a week and charged with "kidnapping of minors and criminal association" after having been arrested on 29 January with 33 children on the border with Dominican Republic without necessary permits.

"The Americans took the kids with the agreement of us parents," repeated Fritzian Valmont, father of three girls 11, 8 and 2 years old. He agreed to the proposal after discussing it with his wife.

We sent our little Alentina together with my sister's two sons: Carl Ramirez and Dawin Stanley, all eight years old," Valmont said.

"If the Americans had brought a big bus that might have carried more children, many more would have gone," declared Valmont, with no sign of missing Alentina, but with the pride of any parent who believes he did something for the sake of a daughter.

Many parents told a similar story. “I sent away my daughter because I had nothing to give her,” said Beline Chewi about his 2 year old daughter, Benjamina.

Ansitho’s mother says she talked to her son and the older children and they said they would like to go to the school in the Dominican Republic, She confessed she is missing her son, adding that, like everyone else, they received nothing in return. "If Ansitho wants to come back, I will welcome him, but perhaps it is not the best for him," said Muran, his mother.

"If, after the trial, the Americans can start again with the kids, I will agree," said Cantave, who is thinking of visiting his son this week in SOS Children’s Villages (Aldeas Infantiles), the charity which is caring for the 33 children aged between two months and 12 years.

The organization was not available to confirm the identities of the children when contacted.

25 related news articles

President’s wife visits Haiti: Feb 25 2010

Haiti’s debris - 1,000 trucks for 1,000 days to move it: Feb 24 2010

No health risk to Dominican tourists after Haiti tragedy : Feb 19 2010

Haiti’s next crisis: Feb 16 2010

Government has distributed more than 1.9 million meals cooked in Haiti : Feb 10 2010

Man rescued from Haiti rubble: Feb 9 2010

US Treasury calls for full cancellation of Haiti debt: Feb 8 2010

Haiti official Death toll now 212,000, 2 million living on the streets: Feb 6 2010

Two Americans die in helicopter crash: Feb 6 2010

G-7 urged to cancel Haiti debt: Feb 6 2010

200,000 dead in Haiti; change needed in government structure : Feb 3 2010

Call for survey of school buildings to assess earthquake vulnerability: Feb 3 2010

Haitian women in new danger from rapists warning: Feb 2 2010

Summit for the Reconstruction of Haiti to be held in the Dominican Republic on April 14: Jan 29 2010

A call to North Coast residents: how you can help: Jan 28 2010

Haiti Should Merge With the Dominican Republic: Jan 28 2010

Local Haiti aid update: Jan 24 2010

Ten thousand pregnant women in Port-au-Prince require medical attention: Jan 22 2010

Haiti hit again by 6.1 earthquake: Jan 21 2010

Plane carrying Haitian orphans to arrive in the Netherlands: Jan 21 2010

Aid is getting through to Haiti earthquake victims: Jan 19 2010

50,000 feared dead in Haiti quake: Jan 15 2010

Support the relief work in Haiti: Jan 13 2010

A Birthday Wish - Haiti Earthquake: Jan 13 2010

Earthquake 'destroys presidential palace' in Haiti: Jan 12 2010