In Haiti, restavek is a deeply ingrained cultural practice that, over time, has become a normalized part of society due to the consequences of poverty. According to the World Bank, 36.6% of the population is projected to live on less than $2.15 USD per day. With limited employment opportunities and continued gang violence gripping the capital, Haitian families are often forced to make difficult—if not impossible—decisions for their survival.
Rural communities, which comprise roughly 40% of Haiti’s population, lack access to basic resources like electricity, water, and education. Economic opportunities outside of agriculture are scarce, and financial independence is difficult to attain. More often than not, people must rely on informal income streams that are neither consistent nor lucrative.
When circumstances are dire and the future feels bleak, parents often find themselves in an impossible position: keep their children at home, where the cycle of poverty persists, or send them to a city to live with someone who might offer a better life.
Sometimes, children are placed with relatives. Other times, it’s an acquaintance. In the most desperate situations, parents may not know the host at all. It is assumed that the host will provide the child with basic necessities like shelter, food, and education. However, this rarely happens. Children who are not part of the nuclear family are often viewed as lesser and fall into domestic servitude, facing varying degrees of abuse—emotional, psychological, physical, and, particularly for girls, sexual. They carry the burdens of household chores, including walking long distances to fetch water, washing dishes and laundry for the entire household, and preparing meals over an open fire. Many are deprived of a bed to sleep in, clean clothes, and any form of social interaction outside the home.
While intervention on behalf of individual children is critical, dismantling the restavek system requires cultural change at the community level. However, because this practice has been normalized across all demographics, shifting societal perceptions can be a challenge.
We witnessed the depth of this issue when we encountered not only faith-based church congregations but even pastors who condoned and participated in the system. If community leaders didn’t see a problem, why would anyone else?
Recognizing that change had to come from within, we developed the Justice Training, a 12-lesson program designed to teach participants about the fair and ethical treatment of children and why the restavek system is harmful—not just to the individual child, but to society as a whole. By implementing a Haitian-led curriculum and leveraging the local church network, we have been able to engage and train church congregations and community members to challenge the cultural acceptance of restavek. The impact has been profound, with countless testimonies from graduates who have been awakened to the injustice of the system and the lasting harm it inflicts.
During a recent Justice Training, one participant, whose name remains anonymous for privacy reasons, was deeply moved. During the sixth session, she confided in a staff member that she had a restavek living in her home, someone she had never truly considered a person. She admitted to mistreating the child, even prohibiting her from sitting in the living room with the rest of the family. But through the training, her perspective changed. She realized that if someone had entrusted her with their child, it was a privilege, not a right. From that moment forward, she committed to changing her behavior. She even brought the child with her to the remaining lessons, wanting her to witness the transformation firsthand. When the child arrived, her joy was undeniable, a powerful testament to the program’s impact. It was in this moment that our staff realized the true potential of this work: this program has the power to change lives.
While not all children can be reunited with their biological families due to Haiti’s financial challenges, we have seen firsthand that when host families recognize the worth and dignity of the children in their care, those children begin to experience love, respect, and a sense of belonging.
Ending restavek requires more than intervention; it demands cultural transformation, and that starts with education. When community members understand the reality of this system and the harm it inflicts, real change becomes possible. Through our Haitian-led Justice Training, we are coming alongside communities to break this cycle, one conversation at a time. But there is still much work to be done. With your support, we can continue expanding these trainings, reaching more churches, families, and leaders across Haiti. Your donation directly fuels this work, empowering Haitian communities to protect their children and create lasting change.
Will you join us in sustaining programs like Justice Training to end the system of restavek?