Restavek

I have known about "restaveks" (child slaves) since I moved to Haiti.  I have recently been reading an autobiography written by Jean-Robert Cadet, the man in the video below.  As a child, he was a restavek.  The word restavek is Creole and it means "to stay with".  In reality, it means a child slave.  Just by the meaning of the word, you can see that most Haitians are in denial that restavek is modern day indentured servanthood.

Although Haiti was one of the first nations to officially abolish slavery, it is still alive today.  It is culturally accepted, and not viewed as slavery.  It is so accepted that it is almost undetectable within the culture.  Poor families give up their children and send them to live with other people who they believe can provide for their children.  Parents have hopes that their children will have a better life.  In the end, their children are treated as less than human and forced to work for that family.

I've witnessed it myself.  I've heard my Haitian friends talk about having children live with them and work for them as if it is no big deal.  It is heartbreaking.  It is common.  Please join me in praying for this part of Haitian culture to die.  Pray for eyes to be opened and for hearts to change.