A Decade of Building Pathways to Freedom

Donor Profile: Sally Wevers

When Sally Wevers first learned about Restavek Freedom in 2010, she immediately knew that she wanted to be involved.

“I was part of a mission team at my church, and our church had chosen to focus on Haiti that year,” Sally recalls. After learning about Restavek Freedom (RF) and the organization’s work across Haiti, Sally and her team committed to sponsoring 16 children – but that was only the beginning.

A few years later, when Sally’s husband retired after 25 years as the church’s senior pastor, they joined a new congregation. Sally wasted no time introducing her new church family to the work of Restavek Freedom: “I said, if you can give me ten minutes of your time, I’ll give you something to think about,” she remembers. “And if it doesn’t feel right, you will not offend me – but I feel like it’s worth it.”

And it was. When Sally told her mission team about the injustice of restavek and suggested they support the work of RF, they were all in. “Literally every one of them said, ‘I love this idea, we need to do this,’” she recalls. So they took action.

During their first year of supporting Restavek Freedom, Faith Christian Reformed Church funded 25 sponsorships for restavek and at-risk children in Haiti, providing them with food, clothing, and the opportunity to attend school. They also sponsored one of Restavek Freedom’s Child Advocates – a young woman who works directly with the children RF serves in Haiti to ensure their safety, wellbeing, and education.

Sally and her husband have now been Freedom Sponsors for more than ten years, and restavek is an issue very close to her heart. “We’ve had [our sponsored child’s] picture on our fridge since 2011,” she shares. “We have to consider these kids part of our family – because they have no other family. And if you can be there for a child who has no one, for $40 a month, and make a difference in that child’s life, why wouldn’t you do it?”

For those who are considering becoming sponsors themselves, Sally has an important message: “Please respond in some way to make a difference in the life of a child,” she implores. “It is our responsibility to care for those who need someone. That someone can be you!”

To sponsor a child for $40/month, visit restavekfreedom.org/sponsor.