Child Servitude in Haiti

The restavek system and children in Ayiti, 
by Guerda Lexima Constant

The situation of many children in Ayiti (Haiti) is difficult. Like suffering children all over the world, many do not have their basic rights.

In Ayiti there is a specific phenomenon caused by economic desperation, called ‘restavek,’ ‘to stay with.’ Many parents in rural areas cannot feed their children and the children lack access to education. Hoping to give the chance for food and education, many parents send their children to ‘stay with’ another family. They may not know the family, but entrust their children on the suggestion of a friend or relative who told them that the children will go to school, eat, and be better off.

But many children will not be better off. Typically, a woman who asks for a child to ‘stay with’ them cannot afford to pay a helper to do house chores, so they look for a child to do the work. They often ask for a girl, who is seen as more docile. The child may be only 7 years old when she leaves her parents’ home. It is often difficult for them to go back, and they lose touch with their family who never had the means to come to see them. And even if they wanted to return home, they may not be able to remember where they came from.


Continue reading...