Child slave labor thrives in Haiti today. An estimated quarter of a million Haitian children work as slave laborers, an issue largely forgotten amid the sea of incomprehensible tragedies in Haiti.
These children are known as “restaveks”, a Haitian Creole word that means “stays with”. Many impoverished families in rural parts of Haiti send their children away to stay with, or more accurately “work for” families in urban areas of Haiti.
The majority of these children are female and undocumented. Many are raped, assaulted and subjected to abysmal working conditions without pay.
The Pan American Development Foundation recently completed the most comprehensive on-the-ground evaluation of the status of restaveks in Haiti. You can read the entire report here (large pdf).
There are undoubtedly many problems in Haiti today. Years of natural disasters and corruption have taken much from those who have very little. The future of Haiti will come from its children and those who seek to protect them.
The following two organizations are working to protect and educate the restaveks of Haiti.
1) Jean Cadet Restavek Foundation
Founded by former restavek Jean-Robert Cadet, the Jean Cadet Restavek Foundation is leading the charge in the abolition of child slavery in Haiti.
His foundation works to educate children and spread awareness around the world about the exploitation of children in Haiti.
You can sponsor a child’s education for $25/month or $300/year. You may also sponsor a school for $250/month or $3000/year.
His website offers several tools for those who are interested in fundraising, volunteering and donating.
2) Haitian Street Kids Incorporated
Haitian Street kids Incorporated (HSKI) helps 3,000 street kids in Haiti, many of them escaped restaveks, by offering counseling, first aid and running a shelter for 200 kids.
HSKI offers compelling stories from the children they’ve helped. There is also a documentary called “Haitian Slave Children: Forgotten Angels” that exposes modern day child slavery in Haiti.
Your donations to HSKI will support their efforts to educate and protect the forgotten children of Haiti.
Photo Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/lucastheexperience / CC BY-ND 2.0
The restaveks of Haiti are reminiscent of the talibes (child beggars) of Senegal; reminding us that the exploitation of children is a problem in many parts of the world. Thanks for shedding some light on this situation and offering ways to help.