By Francoise Leon, Child Advocate

My story is about Mirlande*, a child who has been in our program since July 2013. She is a 16 year-old girl and is in the 3rd grade.  Mirlande used to live with her mother and little sister in Port-au-Prince.  However her mother’s financial situation was very strained; food was rare at home, and her mother could not send her or her sister to school.  One day, her mother asked the child’s father to take Mirlande because she did not have the necessary means to take care of her. Her father lives in Port-au-Port with his wife, and did not want his wife to know he has two children with another woman. So instead, he sent Mirlande to live with his sister in restavek.   Although he has a job, he never brings anything to Mirlande, and he seldom visits or talks to her.

She feels she is not important to her father, since her father refuses to bring her into his home, and this is very hard for her to accept.  It has caused her to have low self-esteem.  Her aunt never paid her school tuition, which is why Mirlande is so behind in school.   At home she is responsible for all of the chores, and is not treated well at all.

Mirlande is very courageous; even though she has many chores to do, she still takes school seriously.  She sees it as an opportunity to learn, make friends, get outside the house and be able to experience new things.  She is so happy to be back at school this fall, because she feels free when she’s not at home.

My biggest satisfaction is to see how I have impacted her life; she can now think about making her dreams a reality.  She is proud of herself and hopes that one day, when she becomes a nurse, her father will finally accept her as his child.

I hope all children will be considered valuable and be treated well in society very soon.

If you would like to support a child like Mirlande, please visit www.restavekfreedom.org/childsponsorship.

*Name has been changed to protect the child’s privacy

Restavek Freedom

Share
Published by
Restavek Freedom
Tags: education family freedom haiti hope love restavek self esteem self worth

Recent Posts

  • About Us
  • Changing Lives
  • Featured Stories

Transforming Lives Through Teaching

STAFF PROFILE: Meet Nadine Nadine began working with Restavek Freedom five years ago, but she became a friend of Restavek…

12 months ago
  • Featured Stories
  • Getting Involved

Spare Change for World Change

When six-year-old Andrew Conn entered Cathy Andry’s kindergarten class at Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy in 2013, she never dreamed that…

12 months ago
  • About Us
  • Changing Lives
  • Life In Haiti

Big Fun & Full Bellies at Summer Camp 2023

For the kids we serve, summer camp isn't just another fun week - it's a rare opportunity to become friends…

12 months ago
  • About Us
  • Changing Lives

Love & Learning: Catherine’s Story

When 10-year-old Catherine entered Restavek Freedom’s child advocacy program three years ago, she was living with her foster mother. At…

12 months ago
  • About Us
  • Changing Lives
  • Child Slavery

Creating A Better Future

Staff Spotlight: Meet Luckens When Luckens joined the Restavek Freedom team last year, he was no stranger to the issue…

1 year ago
  • Changing Lives
  • Getting Involved
  • Miscellaneous

Kids In Action: On A Mission For Freedom

When Jane Bauer began researching slavery for her adult discussion group at Jerusalem Presbyterian Church in Wisconsin, she was surprised…

1 year ago