An integrated approach to ending

child slavery in Haiti

The WHO has identified child health as a major focus area for their targeted
health and human rights work. Child health is still a major concern in the
developing world. Many programs such as the Integrated Management for
Childhood Illness and the Integrated Management of Pregnancy and
Childbirth are focusing on reducing the disease burden for childhood
illnesses. Because most fatal childhood illnesses (75%) occur within the first
week of life, efforts to improve child health have been targeting neonates
and children under five. 1A significant amount of funding and manpower goes
into reducing childhood mortality and most of these child health programs
are directed at issues due to the lack of resources in developing countries.
While inadequate resources and technologies are one, if not the major
problem surrounding child health in low and middle income countries, social
and behavioral factors also play an important role in disease spread amongst
children. One of such harmful socially accepted practices is the use of
rstavks in Haiti. An estimated 300,000 Haitian children live in domestic
servitude2. Child slavery has been denounced by many and is being actively
targeted by groups such as the Rstavk Freedom Alliance, Rstavk
Freedom Foundation and Free the Slaves. One aspect of child slavery that is
1 WHO fact sheet. Children: reducing mortality. September 2014.
2 Restavec Freedom Alliance

perhaps not as recognized or directly addressed lies in the cases where

physical and psychological abuse arent necessarily present. While most
child servants arent actively abused, they do not enjoy a healthy life, not
according to the WHO definition of health as a state of complete physical,
mental and social well-being and not just the absence of disease or infirmity.
Rstavks have been garnering a lot of attention recently thanks to Haitian
and international activists who have spoken out against the use of child
servants. The creole word rstavk means staying with and refers to
young, poor children sent by their parents to live with more affluent families
in exchange for services. Rstavks are basically child slaves; they are often
physically and psychologically abused and are deprived of many of their
basic rights. While the more obvious forms of child slavery are clearly
condemned by most Haitians, the less drastic and abusive situations for
rstavks which I chose to focus on - are still widely accepted as normal.
Although the average Haitian will not be thrilled by being served by a child
who should be in school, they will typically not speak out against the
practice.
The idea that one of the first nations to abolish slavery would have such a
huge child slavery problem might seem absurd at first sight. But the reason
behind the use of child servants might also explain why this practice is so
pervasive in Haitian society. Parents who cannot afford to provide for their
children and themselves often live in such a state of poverty that the
thought of their child living in a big house and having access to food every

day is too good to pass up. The performance of domestic tasks then seems
more than fair in exchange for access to resources they could normally not
even dream of. This perspective of the legitimacy of the aforementioned
exchange goes both ways. The parents who send their child to the big
house and the people who welcome the child servants dont, in fact, see
anything wrong with the arrangement. Furthermore, the child him/herself
oftentimes feels lucky to have such an opportunity. Therein lies the true
problem with rstavks. The parents, the child, the affluent family, and,
consequently, the government dont see anything wrong.
If its so widely accepted by the interested parties, then, what is the issue
with rstavks? For those who do not readily see the inherent harm in
subjecting a child to domestic servitude, the answer to this question will hold
the key to making any progress towards stopping the use of rstavks. A
successful plan to stop the use of rstavks should be tailored to the
mentality of the Haitian people and target the root causes of the problem. It
is not enough to say that child slavery is wrong and that is should be
stopped. In fact, the Haitian government itself has responded to advocacy
groups on the matter by stating that rstavks are a part of Haitian culture.
3

Nor is it enough for high and mighty foreigners to come and save the poor

children of Haiti. Advocacy programs should work with the understanding

that rstavks are, in fact, a part of Haitian culture, and the practice will only
stop if and when the interested parties understand why it needs to stop.
3 Restavec Freedom Alliance. What are Restavecs?

First, rallies and conferences on the issue should be organized in Haiti to

allow for discussions on the issue of rstavks and its repercussions on child
health, creating leaders and advocates within Haitian communities. Then,
national advertising campaigns should be created to raise awareness on a
larger scale and to reach those who would not attend the rallies and
conferences, including the families with child servants, and the children
themselves. Finally, a task force made of leaders and activists familiar with
the intricacy of the issue and its pervasiveness in Haitian culture should be
created to lobby for governmental actions against the use of rstavks.
The photos of beaten, emaciated, crying children might be useful for eliciting
an emotional response in potential donors and foreign supporters, but to
truly end the practice of rstavks, program should work with the
understanding that most Haitians dont see anything wrong with rstavks.
The tradition of rstavks will not be easy to uproot from the mentalities of
those who continue this practice. It will be a long, slow process. The
important thing is to get a conversation started within Haitian communities
and to raise awareness on the issue in Haiti through education,
campaigning, and lobbying.