For many, Christmas is a time where families look for ways to instill a value for charitable giving in their children. Teaching children to appreciate what they have and to look for ways to help others is an important lesson. The mission of Restavek Freedom is to see child slavery in Haiti eliminated in our lifetime. We can accomplish this through a variety of avenues, including support from you and your family. Consider using the mission of Restavek Freedom and the work being down in Haiti to help teach your children about giving back.
Here are some ideas for how to inspire charitable giving in your children this holiday season:
Appreciative Attitude
Encourage your children to focus on an attitude of gratitude. This is best done by modeling an attitude of gratitude. When children see their mentors and adults leading with an appreciative mentality, they are able to easily adopt one for themselves. Remind them to be grateful for their food, their family, their friends, and the ways that they can pursue their individual interests. As they can appreciate the good things in their own life, they can also develop tender hearts towards those less fortunate. Child slavery in Haiti involves children living in isolation. Help your children to remember to be grateful for the families and support that they have.
Understanding of Others
As you make your children aware of global needs and injustices, it’s important to offer guidance and patience along the way. They can learn about cultures, regions of the world, languages, and regionally-specific cuisine to create a healthy global mindset. Offering you children a comprehensive understanding of others, at least that other people have more or less than they do, establishes a wider lens, and more empathy. They can apply the necessary lens to a situation, and see what there is to see. As you introduce your children to child labor violations or human trafficking issues, they can practice using the empathy that you both are cultivating.
Personal Skills & Interests
Encourage your children to analyze their own interests and skills to help determine ways to offer charitable giving. If they enjoy writing, encourage them to write to advocates, thanking them for their work. Or write about the issue to raise awareness with friends and family. If they are outgoing and like to stay busy, find ways for them to organize a yard sale or a service project that raises money toward the end of slavery in Haiti.
Nothing Too Small
Remind your children that nothing is too small. If they can’t give of their money, remind them that they can give of their time. If multiple resources are strapped, remember that giving always starts with knowing. We have to know the needs of the children in slavery in Haiti. Stay informed on the issues going on, and help your children understand the importance of a critical mind.
Model Behavior
The best way to inspire charitable giving in your children is to model it for them daily. Be someone who stays informed, uses your own skills and interests to help others, maintains an attitude of gratitude, and contributes in both small and large ways to missions that you deem important. This kind of behavior will speak loudly to your children, and encourage them to do the same. At Restavek Freedom, we are always looking for passionate people to get involved with our mission.
Join Us
At Restavek Freedom, we have dedicated ourselves to ending child slavery in Haiti in our lifetime. We focus our work and our influence to freeing children from isolation, exploitation, and abuse. In addition, our work involves educating and engaging with families so children do not end up as slaves and transforming hearts through national outreach efforts that empower change. Founded in 2007, we have a strong Haitian-led team working throughout Haiti, with staff based in Port-au-Prince and Port Salut, as well as a small support staff in Cincinnati, Ohio. Donate now, sponsor a child, and join us today to discover how you can play a part in ending child slavery in Haiti.
