What alternatives do children in Haiti lack that contributes to gang recruitment?

Children in Haiti currently lack viable alternatives to gang involvement due to the absence of economic opportunities. As Jacqueline Charles explains, Haiti has lost tens of thousands of jobs as a direct result of the ongoing violence, including factory positions that might otherwise provide legitimate employment. The situation has created a devastating cycle where the community has nothing to fight for, and children especially have no alternatives to offer hope for their future. This economic vacuum, combined with the broader socio-political instability, has made young people particularly vulnerable to gang recruitment, as they search for any means of survival in a country where legitimate opportunities simply 'don't exist right now.'