What do Restaveks do?

A restavek (or restavec) is a child in Haiti who is sent by their parents to work for a host household as a domestic servant because the parents lack the resources required to support the child. The term comes from the French language rester avec, “to stay with”.

Where did the slaves in Haiti come from?

The African people of Haiti derived from various areas, spanning from Senegal to the Congo. Most of which were brought from West Africa, with a considerable number also brought from Central Africa. Some of these groups include those from the former Kongo kingdom (Kongo), (Igbo Benin (Ewe and Yoruba) and Togo land.

Who abolished slavery in Haiti?

Haitians, by contrast, forced one of the most powerful European empires in the 18th century to abolish slavery and then protected that abolition by declaring independence. Haitian revolutionaries were the architects of France’s 1793 and ’94 abolition and they founded an abolitionist state in the Americas in 1804.

Is restavek legal?

The practice of restavèk is now illegal in Haiti, but remains a deeply entrenched and culturally accepted practice.

Is slavery legal in Haiti?

Slavery is still widespread in Haiti today. According to the 2014 Global Slavery Index, Haiti has an estimated 237,700 enslaved persons making it the country with the second-highest prevalence of slavery in the world, behind only Mauritania….Government action.

HAITI Ratified
Domestic Work Convention No

Do children work in Haiti?

An estimated 21% of Haitian children work, but the number of children working in urban child labor in unknown. The children who were engaged in child labor ranged between 8 to 17 years. An understanding of how and why the children in Haiti began non-domestic work, as per the study undertaken is highlighted below.

When was restavek abolished in Haiti?

June 2003
Moreover, in June 2003 Haiti passed an act that outlawed the placement of children into restavek service, and the abuse and maltreatment of children in general.

Are there slaves in Haiti today?

Slavery is still widespread in Haiti today. According to the 2014 Global Slavery Index, Haiti has an estimated 237,700 enslaved persons making it the country with the second-highest prevalence of slavery in the world, behind only Mauritania.

What does it mean to be a restavek in Haiti?

Jump to navigation Jump to search. A restavek (or restavec) is a child in Haiti who is sent by his or her parents to work for a host household as a domestic servant because the parents lack the resources required to support the child.

How many restavek children are there in Haiti?

Children in domesticity may or may not attend school, but when they do attend, it is generally an inferior school compared to other children… and their rates of non-enrollment are higher than non-restavèk children in the home.” The estimates for numbers of restaveks in Haiti range from 100,000 to 500,000.

What did the restavek do in Port au Prince?

Organizations such as the Center for Action and Development (CAD) and L’Escale in Port-au-Prince exist to house, feed, and give medical and psychological care to escaped restaveks while working to return them to their families. Jean-Robert Cadet vividly recounted his life as a restavek.

Where does the term ” restavek ” come from?

The term comes from the French language rester avec, “to stay with”. Parents unable to care for children may send them to live with wealthier (or less poor) families, often their own relatives or friends. Often the children are from rural areas, and relatives who host restaveks live in more urban settings.