When the violence in Croix-des-Bouquets grew unbearable, Hercheline was forced to leave her home and move to Delmas. Even there, the safety she found was fragile. While life in upper Delmas feels somewhat normal, below, gangs have taken control of entire neighborhoods, forcing families to flee their homes, schools to shut down, and businesses to close entirely. Amid the chaos, Herchline continues her work as a Child Advocate with Restavek Freedom, serving some of the most vulnerable children in Port-au-Prince.
Before joining Restavek Freedom in March 2023, Hercheline worked as a teacher. She was already used to caring for children, especially those living in difficult circumstances, and her friend who was once employed as a Child Advocate encouraged her to apply. What she didn’t know at the time was just how much this work would impact her.
“When I started, I had nearly sixty children in my care,” she recalls. “Now I work with thirty-six. Many have been displaced by the violence, others have graduated, and a few of the girls have become pregnant. Due to the insecurity, we aren’t able to recruit new children into the program right now.”
The violence has left deep scars on her work. Neighborhoods that were once full of laughter and life, like Carrefour Feuille, are now almost unreachable. “That area is completely destroyed,” she explains. “The school we worked with there was forced to relocate several times. In 2025, the gangs destroyed the building we were renting. We lost everything.”
The new school is now in Delmas 75, far from where most of the children live. The distance, danger, and cost make the daily journey nearly impossible for many. Still, Hercheline refuses to give up. “Some of the children are very sad,” she says, “but most of them, they hold onto hope because they have people in their lives encouraging them. Yo pa lage net, yo kenbe. They don’t give up completely; they keep holding on.”
Hercheline herself faces challenges every day. Sometimes gunfire echoes near her route, and schools call to warn her when it’s unsafe to visit. “If there’s a problem in the zone, I don’t go,” she explains. “But I don’t live in fear. I take precautions and trust God. M sou kont Bondye tou.”
What keeps her going is the impact she sees in the lives of the children. “This work has no price,” she says. “You see children who were once discouraged, some who even turned to alcohol to escape their pain, and now they’re smiling again. That gives me strength.”
One of the girls in her program, Naika, reminds her why she does what she does. Naika, originally from Jérémie, knew nothing about her parents, her past, or even the date of her birth. To this day, she still does not know whether or not her parents are alive.
Instead, she grew up with her aunt who was incredibly cruel, forced her to work, and never allowed her to go to school. She was also a victim of routine physical abuse. Eventually, another woman in the neighborhood took her in, but struggled to provide financially for Naika. When the woman learned about Restavek Freedom, she asked for help.
“When Naika joined the program, she was so malnourished she nearly died,” Hercheline remembers. “We brought her to the hospital, where she received a blood transfusion. Now she’s healthy, eating well, and progressing well in school. When I met her, she was in first grade and was unable to read. Now she’s in third grade and thriving.”
Stories like hers remind Hercheline that the work is more than education. It’s transformative on every level. “We don’t only pay for school,” she says. “We give them hope. We help them feel like they matter.”
Through home visits, school meetings, and parent training, Hercheline gently advocates for change. When children report mistreatment, she and her team address it directly, always with care and patience. Sometimes it takes time, but she sees progress. “The families are not perfect,” she admits, “but many are improving. They’re learning to encourage the children, to feed them, to show them love.”
Despite the insecurity surrounding her, Herchline’s heart remains steadfast. “If you don’t help these children,” she says, “they will have no one. But when they see how much we care, when they feel it, that gives me courage to keep going.”
“The work we are doing truly has no price,” she concludes, “Enpak lan telman gran. The impact is so great.”
Every day, Child Advocates like Hercheline risk their safety to ensure that children in restavek are seen, protected, and given the chance to dream again.
When you become a Child Champion, you come alongside Hercheline and others like her, helping children in restavek go to school, receive care, and believe in a brighter future.
Join us today. Become a Child Champion and help create pathways to freedom and hope, one child at a time.