State of Emergency
for Haitian Children
We are building a long-term, life-changing solution to eradicate extreme poverty. Join us today!
Our Mission
Haiti Now is dedicated to empowering Haitian girls living in domestic servitude to overcome poverty and exploitation to achieve economic security.
What is The Meaning of Restavek?
“Restavek” is a Creole term stemming from the French phrase “rester avec” which means “stay with”.
“Restavek” is derogatorily describing impoverished children who work strenuous hours as unpaid domestic servants in exchange for food and shelter.
These children experience individual isolation, social marginalization, neglect, and exploitation. Their young lives are often marked by emotional, physical, and sexual abuse.
The Restavek practice denies many children their freedom to develop, both personally and professionally.
Girls In Domestic Servitude
Poor and desperate parents, mostly from rural areas, send their children to “stay with” host families. For many such children, however, the promise of education and a better future never comes true. Instead, they become Restavek.
A clear power difference separates Restaveks from their hosting family members. Viewed as servants inferior to the rest of the family, even young children are expected to perform difficult house chores beyond their physical capacities. If they fail to complete a task, their guardians may abuse or punish them.
As a result of dangerous work and physical abuse, the majority of Restavek children have permanent scars on their backs, necks, arms, legs, and heads. Some Restavek may be as young as 6 years old, but most are 13 years old.
Why We Need Your Help
Problems Faced By Restavek Children
Our Solutions
Safe House
Accelerate Education
Emotional Trauma
Children in domestic servitude suffer from emotional trauma, low self-worth, low self-esteem, and a despairing outlook.
Mental and Physical Health
We will offer both physical and mental health support to our students with trauma-informed care specialists. This will include medical care and vaccinations.
Extreme Poverty
Business Incubation
Why We Need Your Help
Problems Faced By Restavek Children
Emotional Trauma
Children in domestic servitude suffer from emotional trauma, low self-worth, low self-esteem, and a despairing outlook.
Extreme Poverty
Our Solutions
Safe House
Accelerate Education
Mental and Physical Health
We will offer both physical and mental health support to our students with trauma-informed care specialists. This will include medical care and vaccinations.
Business Incubation
Survivors of Domestic Servitude Share Their Experience
“I want to tell you how you helped me with the school year. You guys lent me books even though I didn’t have any money.”
“I’m convinced that empowerment is the most powerful form of leadership, and the most effective way of transforming our world is by investing in the places most of us will never visit.”
Our Impact
Haiti Now has been working with poor schools in Haiti since 2010 to improve the lives of children in domestic servitude. We have distributed over 7000 textbooks through the Book Bank program and aided over 1300 recipients.
We collect extensive data about our outcomes. Our customized applications capture and display data about our core programs in real-time. Shown here, for example, is the current gender and background breakdown of our students:
We are now fundraising to build the Residential School, a purpose-built facility we plan to construct in three phases. The facility will incorporate housing, education, mental health support, and business incubation.
Each girl will be enrolled in an accelerated education program with access to professionally trained teachers, books, school supplies, and computers.
The School experience will provide these girls with the best opportunities for self-empowerment and a transition out of extreme poverty.
Please donate or raise money to fund the Residential School for girls in domestic servitude.
Rally support from your friends and family using one of our platforms below and customize it to the goals you want.
Start a Fundraising Campaign For The Residential School
Our Partners
