Help the Slave Children in Haiti

I changed my career after being laid off as an executive to become a home based internet entrepreneur. The failing economy promised nothing good, just gloom and doom. I needed to provide financial support for my children and a secured retirement for my self so I took the leap of faith and joined Wealth Masters International as an independent financial consultant aligning myself with their mission of changing and adding value to normal people’s lives and providing wealth opportunities one person or one family at a time. Since then I have learned the invaluable art of internet marketing and it’s positive impact on the world.

http://executive-to-entrepreneur.com

Two years ago, a horrible and unexpected divorce after 20 years of marriage derailed my life and that of my children.  The devastating experience of emotional loss and deep spiritual suffering actually brought me to a higher level of awareness about suffering and victimization.  Refusing to be a victim myself which initially was quite difficult, I u-turned my negative situation around making it a priority to help others who might be hurting and suffering as a result of victimization.

Last year I saw a documentary on Child Slavery in Haiti which deeply affected me and motivated this blog post.

Did you know you could own a child from the age of 3 to 14  in Haiti?  She or He could be your slave Free of Charge!

If you think that slavery is dead… think again….Childhood slavery is alive and well in Haiti.

Unicef estimates as many as 400,00 children in Haiti have been thrown into slavery, abandoned by their families because of abject poverty. Families making less than 0.50 cents per day have very little choice of either giving their children away or seeing them die under their watch.

These children are called restaveks, taken from the Creole meaning “stay with”.
The restavek system has existed since the time Haiti was founded by free slaves in 1804 which in itself is ironic. The restavek system has been  virtually ignored by the worldwide aid community, and the Haitians themselves.

The restavek phenomena, like slavery is a system that stresses ownership of the person versus the use of cheap or underpaid labor. The reason that so many of these children can be mistreated and often times beaten to death without any intervention from authorities or other adults is found in the reality that they are seen more as property than child laborers.

The life of a restavek is one that is comprised of continual day-to-day menial chores where they must serve everyone around them, and refer to them as monsieur or madame (sir or mam), even to those younger than themselves. They are strictly forbidden to speak unless spoken to. They are not allowed to display any emotions without fear of reprisal, or even voice any opinions about their daily needs. They are rarely provided with a chance for an education.

Most are abused and forced into the most miserable of jobs often landing in poor families where they are treated like dirt, deprived of friends, love, and any semblance of normal childhood. They live in deplorable situations, work long hours, and are chained at night so they don’t run away. The girls are raped by the male members of the families, the boys are tortured, burned and some have even had their hands hacked off with machetes or are whipped daily with cowhide switches. One 14 year old girl describes her owner as “giving her the pepper”, which means that her owner rubbed a hot pepper in her crotch after finding someone raping her, then tossed her out on the street to fend for herself.

THESE ARE INNOCENT LITTLE CHILDREN !! PLEASE HELP!!

Most of the restaveks are alone and defenseless. They live in constant fear of abandonment and punishment. Because it is a longstanding custom, an accepted slavery, no one intervenes. Many of these children are dead before they are 15.

I came across Theo’s Project or Project Hope while trying to find a way to help the restavek children.

Theo’s Work Inc. is a non-profit organization founded by Fr. Marc Boisvert in 1998 to support humanitarian efforts in southern Haiti.

The primary focus is to alleviate the devastating effects of poverty on children in Haiti.  The children suggested Pwoje Espwa as a name for the project, which is Haitian Creole for Project Hope.
Pwoje Espwa is a multi-faceted program serving the needs of thousands of children and familes in this impoverished nation.  The non-sectarian project is supported by private donations and fundraising efforts.
Pwoje Espwa – Hope in Haiti. This is one way of keeping up with what’s happening in southern Haiti.

Please consider helping us in our work with Haitian orphans and needy children. Contributions can be sent to: Theo’s Work 25422 Trabuco Road Suite 105-362 Lake Forest, CA 92630 Or you can make a secure donation with a credit card at our website www.freethekids.org. Thank you for helping us fight poverty in Haiti, one child at a time.

Jane van Honk is a Mother, and an internet marketer with her own home based business. http://executive-to-entrepreneur.com

The ‘Free Entrepreneur’ Economy

Self Reinvention or Brand yourself the ”Free Entrepreneur”

Lifetime employment is over
Stable employment at large corporations is gone
The average career will likely encompass two or three “occupations” and a half -dozen or more employers.
Most of us will spend sustained periods of our career in some form of self –employment.
Bottom line: We’re on our own, folks.
It’s not theory. It’s happening  …  NOW.
From Tom Peter’s ‘Re-imagine.’

We know there is a tectonic shift in the world of employment afoot. We feel it , we fear it, we cannot avoid it. Fact is we need to embrace it! Who will get kicked out of their cubicle next? Raise your hand , ME, ME, ME!

We need to emigrate to ‘free agent entrepreneur’. Definitely , it is scary, but also liberating. The golden key is Attitude! The monetary gains will blow you away. Simply put. We have encountered a new age Gold Rush. Don’t wait. Don’t hesitate. Start digging for your gold!
The rebrand of ‘You’ commences! It is a moment of AHA or WOW!
Your security has been uprooted. Euphemistically speaking, you have been laid off or fired! OK, Deal with it. Don’t waste any time in hindsight about what might have been.

Yes, it is scary as hell.
Imagine you are on stage and millions of fans are cheering you on! That is the life you could be heading toward. So discard the victimization of someone else powering your life. Power your own life!. You perform, you live by your wits, your gig is your own WOW moment, you have become your own rock star. Add that to your resume!
Spirit is the Mother of Reinvention. Attitude is everything.
Technology replaced your job.  You are a creative, sentient being. Add new value to your value proposition. We need to become independent contractors.  Convert yourself into a genuine businessperson. Spread the word. Sell yourself. Become a leader.
I am a firm believer in independence. Cubicle slavery sucks. Microprocessors evicted us from our jobs. Thank God for technology, it is a blessing not a curse! Our value is much greater than the stupid product we sold; our creativity is our intellectual capital. If you feel powerless, succumb. Don’t fight it. You cannot fight it. Wake up. Use your own God given talents. The new world is all about talent.
It is about you. Rebrand! Reimagine!
WOW!
Terrifying, Liberating. Hugely challenging. Exhilarating.
Enter the age of the “Free Entrepreneur”.
“You are the storyteller of your own life, and you can create your own legend or not.” Isabel Allende.
We all have to agree. Ordinary is boring. We need to separate ourselves and become distinctive. Tom Peters coined the phrase,
DISTINCT  … OR EXTINCT!
Rebranding ourselves is not a hype. It actually is a meaningful reflection both of our outer world, the marketplace, the products and services we offer, and our inner self. The mirror image of our own personal brand is no more than a reflection of our inner soul, what lies within us, the lifestyle design of our dreams. Stephen Jobs CEO Apple Computer, says “Design is the fundamental soul of a manmade creation”.  We are in the age of redesigning our self.
We see the hot shot entrepreneurs making 6-7 figure incomes. I can tell you, they started out where we are now!  They are no more than the reflection of their own soul beliefs.  They rediscovered their passion, believed in it and started selling it!!! They figured out HOW to capture their spirit of offering, or Selling, rebranded and offered their product and services in a new way, out there in that wide open, largely unprotected global marketplace. The rest was history. They are now the new HEROS, our leaders, our inspiration. 4 short years ago they were where we are right now, broke, scared and twittering on a new lifestyle of choice. ! Thank innovation, use technology and GET GOING!
Finally, Be the Boss of your own show! I work for a company called Me! LOVE it, HONOR it and BE LOYAL to it.
The stronger the foundation is of the Brand called YOU , the stronger your market position in the age of :
BLAME NO ONE
EXPECT NOTHING
DO SOMETHING!

Ok so where do I start?
In my workshops under the banner of Art and Technology entitled I AM; I AM NOT. I have posed a few questions to get the ball rolling toward YOU.
Who are you?
Why are you here?
What makes you Unique? (USP’s)
What do you care about?
Are other people’s opinions about you important to you?
How about your mindset of Brand?  Is it high, or low? Growing or declining, solid or fragile? What is your personal Brand Equity?
Who are your friends? How do you follow them?
Who do you Trust?

Tom Peters in his book ‘Re-imagine’ has provided a road map or survival kit as one enters the unknown frontier of the new work economy. The following steps are paraphrased.

What should you pack in your ole kit bag of ‘Attitude Shifters’ before you enter the new frontier of the ‘Free Entrepreneur”?

1.    Think like an entrepreneur. Self Reliant- Be your own Boss! Act like a Boss.
2.    Close your deals, don’t waddle! Make money and be responsible to your own bottom line. Become smart about money and wealth creation.
3.    Love Marketing. Swim or drown. Dare go after the technologies that will make you a fast winner.
4.    Be a Master. Learning should be your inspiration. Pose yourself to be a Leader of Leadership!
5.    Shifting Deals. Be very good at one thing. But on a moments notice , be prepared to shift. Then, be ready to master 10 new things at once. Nothing is certain so become a ‘Shift Shaper’ quickly. Deal with it. Flexibility wins.
6.    Attitude. Laugh or Die! Stretch your limits, explore everything and when the elastic snaps, laugh hysterically. That was that. Go with it. Your enterprise will reach excellence if you keep stretching, keep laughing and go with the punches.
7.    Hail Twitter. Build your network. Your loyalty with your peers is everything. This is not a market of secrets and inclusion. This market is all about sharing! Build your rolodex on line. Manage it. Love it. Follow your friends.
8.    An Apple a Day. The internet and everything in its wake is your newfound freedom. You don’t need to be an expert but you do need to be curious. It’s made easy for dummies like you and me. Think FAST. That attitude embraces our new tech tools. Build your toolset.
9.    Think Young. Whether you are 20 or 80, this marketplace loves you. Respect each other. Learn . Listen and grow your Spirit of Offerings. Be your own fantastic ‘no matter what age you find yourself’ Brand as a ‘free entrepreneur’.
10.    Free Agent Web 2.0. Technology is your friend. Social networks are your distribution resources. Be creative. Package your skills and your TALENTS. What you don’t know. Ask and learn. I can guarantee there are plenty of folks that want to help you BECOME SUCCESSFUL.

Here we come. Create your own work. It’s a ‘Free Entrepreneur’ Economy.

Meet me at my space. http://www.myspace.com/cashbiznetworking