The Campaign to End Child Servitude

Beyond Borders supports what we believe is the largest and most effective effort to date to bring an end to child servitude in Haiti. This effort, led by the Limyè Lavi Foundation, is building a grassroots movement in Haiti to change the public perception of child servitude, to push the Haitian government to become active in protecting children from this modern form of slavery, and to develop strategies for stopping and reversing the flow of children into servitude by attacking the root causes.

This is an ambitious undertaking considering how deeply rooted the practice of child servitude is in Haitian society. Many trace its roots all the way back to Haiti's three centuries of slavery under European colonial rule. Others emphasize its complicated links to poverty. Clearly, though, bringing an end to the restavèk system is not something we can accomplish on our own.

Coalition Building: In the past two decades a growing number of local, national, and international organizations have taken an interest in helping children in servitude. The efforts of these organizations, though, have largely been in isolation and uncoordinated, resulting in wasted resources, duplicated efforts, and lost opportunities for learning from the experiences and expertise of others.

With funding from the International Labor Organization (a U.N. agency), we organized our first large conference in Port-au-Prince in December, 2000. This conference brought together representatives from 45 different local, national, and international organizations with the goal of discussing our various strategies, learning from each other, and building a network of organizations committed to ending the practice of child servitude in Haiti.

Several participants a children's rights gathering held in January list topics they want on the agenda and as workshop topics.

Since that conference, a core group of organizations have continued to meet regularly, usually every two months, to discuss progress and develop common activities. Local organizations that are at the forefront of the struggle for change are especially grateful for the opportunity to share with other like-minded organizations. The interaction encourages them in their struggle and gives them new insight for improving the quality of their work.

Changing Attitudes: As remarkable as it may seem, most Haitian families that exploit the labor of children they keep in servitude see nothing wrong with what they are doing. They typically think they are doing the child and the child's parents a service by providing the child with food and a place to live.

"I wash my mistress’s clothes along with her husband's and two children’s clothes. I wash the dishes. Sweep, dust, and mop. I go to the market. I have to wash their clothes before I wash my own, so sometimes I don’t find time to wash my own clothes. Her children sometimes beat me and rip my clothes." --Aline Dena >>Read more of what servant children have to say about their lives.

In some rare cases, families will take a child in and care for the child as if she is one of their own children, without exploiting or abusing the child. This is the exception, though. Most restavèk children are treated very differently from other children in the household and are forced to work long hours without the love and nurturing they need or the opportunity to attend school, receive medical care, or form friendships.

Beyond Borders is supporting an effort to make it socially unacceptable to exploit children this way. This effort has made some use of radio, television, and other media in an effort to change public attitudes. A variety of other creative efforts are planned. But funds are needed to continue and expand these effort. Regional training for educators and community leaders in Haiti's various districts are also being undertaken. But, funds for this effort are also needed.

Advocacy: There are laws on the books in Haiti that should, in theory, offer children some protection from being sent away from their parents and exploited as domestic servants. Unfortunately, these laws are almost never enforced. While the Haitian government does lack resources and has an infinite number of other pressing problems, the plight of these most vulnerable citizens needs to receive greater attention from the government.

The coalition has had a number of meetings with government officials and members of parliament, pushing for better laws to protect these children and the enforcement of laws already on the books. There has been some movement from the government, such as forming a special police unit trained to focus on children's rights. But much more must be done.

Developing Alternatives to Servitude: Haitian parents send children into servitude for a number of reasons. Often it is a mixture of desperation and false hope. Through our awareness raising work, we help parents understand the risks their children are likely to face if sent away. Responding to the despair Haitian parents often feel is more complicated, though. This despair is often a consequence of grinding poverty and the lack of even the most basic service in rural areas.

The lack of quality rural schooling contributes greatly to this despair. Haitian parents know the value of education and see little hope for their children if they don't get an education. Beyond Borders supports the expansion of rural schooling through the Child Literacy Program and improving the quality of rural schooling through our Schools Alive! program.

Parents also find new hope through adult education programs we support. We fund adult literacy training programs that provide basic literacy and numeracy skills the first year and the a basic education in the second year. During this second year of the program they study a variety of subjects that are especially adapted to the needs they face. Training in sustainable gardening, agriculture, and animal husbandry is provided. They learn about children's rights and parenting skills. Participants also participate in text-based discussion groups that helps them develop the leadership, communication, speaking, listening, and critical thinking skills they need to be stronger participants in building local democracy and organizing for change. During the second year they solidify their new literacy skills and develop the habits needed for life-long learning.

Through our partners in Haiti we are also exploring partnerships with other organizations that are equipped to provide specialized services that strengthen rural communities and stabilize the lives of the poorest families. These services include micro-finance and business skills development, the provision of potable water, improvements in housing, etc.

Our Latest Update: Click here to read our most recent report on the Campaign to End Child Servitude in Haiti.

Please help us with this very important effort.