Madeline revisits the remains of the CAD centre in Carrefour Failles where 5 of her friends were killed.

Like many Haitian children, for 12 year-old Madeline (pictured), the earthquake was not the first destructive event in her life. She has suffered more pain and trauma than most people experience in a lifetime.

Madeline was molested by her step father and when she said she would tell her mother, he threatened to kill her. She ran away only to be picked up by a child trafficker and sold as a domestic slave to a family who also abused her.

Having escaped back to the streets Madeline was soon picked up by the police and entrusted to Marline Moudesin, a former adoptee who runs the Centre d’Action Pour Le Development (CAD) which Plan has been supporting for several years.

Plan Haiti staff were working to improve CAD when the earthquake struck. Tragically, 12 girls were in the building and five of them, including Madeline’s best friend – Lovely, 8, were crushed. It took three days to recover their small bodies.

Madeline was injured but managed to escape through a gap in the wall. “I’m fine,” she says, but she is still scared of aftershocks.

There is great concern that children should not fall into the hands of child traffickers who sell them on as domestic workers and sex slaves.

“I know of families in trouble who have given away their children to domestic servitude because they don’t have enough money,” says Marline, “they are desperate.”

Marline receives all children with open arms. But her big-heartedness has a downside - the centre desperately needs more space i to accommodate the children.

Plan has promised to supply the centre with a minibus, to help improve security and to continue the skills training which it has been running there.

“If this centre didn’t exist these children would all be on the street again,” said Marline.

Meanwhile, Madeline says she wants to be a nurse. Only time will tell if her dream comes true.

*Madeline’s name has been changed for Child Protection reasons.