Child slavery in Haiti – by Rose-Marie Chaperon
Posted: Tuesday, November 09, 2010
by Rose-Marie Chaperon
Chaperon Consulting, LLC
Child slavery in Haiti Why can't we care more!!
In 1804 Haiti declares independence and abolishes slavery. So why is it that still in the 21st century it is still happening to Haiti's most valuable assets? Its children! To understand the meaning of child slavery in Haiti one must have witnessed it. A restavec (or restavek; from the French reste avec, "one who stays with") is a child in Haiti who is sent by their parents to work for a host household as a domestic servant because the parent lacks the resources required to support the child. The restavek may be treated well, or abused. Restavek may refer to a child staying with a host family, but usually refers specifically to those who are abused.
During my last visit to Haiti, I visited a friend's house that is well off in Haiti, my friend has a young man living with him as a house maid, and the house maid is the same age as his son. My friend's son attends school regularly, has clothes and is well taking care off. However the house maid's treatment includes work expectations equivalent to adult servants and long hours that surpass the cultural norm for children's work at home, inferior food and clothing compared to other children in the home, sleeping on the floor rather than in a bed, no time out for play, and a common expectation that the he must use formal terms of address when speaking to social superiors including virtually all other household members. This expectation applies to his relations to other children in the household, even children younger than he is must be called by Mr. e.g., Msye Paul ("Mister Paul" rather than simply Paul). At night when my friend is thirsty, instead of going to the refrigerator to get a drink of water, he would call on the house maid to bring him water; and sometimes without regard for the young man's resting time. That made me sick to my stomach, to the point I will not be visiting again.
Slavery in Haiti is a delicate matter and one that is often muffled by other pressing issues- access to water, shelter, and food. But if Haiti wants to stand on its feet, it has to acknowledge the social problems that affect its most abject citizens. The so-called Haitian government has done nothing to stop child slavery. If anyone were to visit any government's official home in Haiti, he/she is bound to find at least 2 restavec living in the home. Some as young as three are beaten, forced to do anything asked, request nothing, speak only when spoken to, display no emotion, and receive none of the benefits parents expected, just exploitation and mistreatment that's often severe.
The situation has gotten worse since the January 12, 2010 earthquake. People's home are inundated with little restavecs. This is a very inhumane situation in Haiti, it deprives children of their family environment and violates their most basis rights such as the rights to education, health and food as well as subjecting them to multiple forms of abuse including economic exploitation, sexual violence and corporal punishment, violating their fundamental right to protection from all forms of violence." even this day, under the current Preval government, practically nothing has been done so far.
We at Safe Haven Education Nutrition Association of Haiti, Inc are doing our part to improve the situation, our mission is to end Haitian child slavery and give hope to those enslaved, and we want to act as a "voice for the voiceless." Why? Because children were not born to serve as slaves, they should be love, care for, and send to school to have an education so tomorrow they can be part of the solution not the problem.
Anyone with even the slightest knowledge of Haiti knows that the country is desperately poor. The nation has "the highest rates of infant, under-5 and maternal mortality in the Western Hemisphere. Diarrhea, respiratory infections, malaria, tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS are the leading causes of death. Child slavery in Haiti is not a secret; everybody in Haiti knows including those living in the US, who most often act oblivious to the situation. Most Haitians living in the US have a restavec in their homes in Haiti. What differentiate a restavec from a non-restavec? Why can't children be children? The Haitians shameful practice of child slavery makes me wish sometimes I was never born in the country. I hope one day, children will see the light at the end of the tunnel. One day they will have a voice! And one day, those living in the US will care a little more about the issue.
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Top-level comments on this article: (2 total)I have written about this subject before and it is appalling. I really do not think many people know about it. I know there are good men and women trying to change this practice that IS slavery. I commend you and those who try and make a difference. But here are the big questions. What can be done to really get Haiti out of the terrible financial mess it has been in for so many years? Charity is not a long term solution. The second question is what is the solution to stoping the slavery issue. Someone...first needs to have solutions to these issues--concrete actions that will work and then step by step work on them.
Great article,
Steve
Thank you for your article about child slavery in Haiti. Child slavery is no secret, particularlyin underdevoled countries where poor parents are unable to provide food and shelter for their children. I have seen some cases, even in India, although the right to protect them stands enacted
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