Restavek Freedom

This month, we welcomed 1,600 students back to the classroom! We look forward to the 2026-27 school year and what it has in store for every young person across Haiti.

Thank you to those who continue to help make education for the children and young people in our program possible 🇭🇹

In August and September, 147 Justice Training participants graduated from the program at three different churches in Port-au-Prince.

Over the course of six weeks, participants engage in 12 training sessions at their local church led by Restavek Freedom staff, where they learn about the fair and ethical treatment of children, how to intervene on behalf of children in vulnerable situations, and ways to work together to end the restavek system.

One graduate spoke on behalf of his class to express their deep gratitude and commitment to Restavek Freedom's mission. He acknowledged that the certificate was not just a piece of paper but also a promise to become active defenders of children's rights and to revolt against all forms of child abuse in their church and neighborhoods.

These ceremonies are tangible evidence of the transformation taking place within our partner communities and a reminder that graduation marks the beginning of the real work: graduates returning to their churches and neighborhoods equipped to recognize abuse, protect children, and speak up for their rights.

Together, they are helping create communities where children are treated with dignity, protected from exploitation, and given the opportunity to thrive.

In Haiti, children’s rights are protected through national laws and international agreements, including the right to education and protection from exploitation, abuse, and hazardous work.

But recognizing a right and being able to exercise it are not always the same thing.

When poverty, violence, displacement, and other barriers prevent children from going to school, staying safe, or being protected from exploitation, their rights are being undermined.

Protecting children means more than responding when harm occurs. It means creating families, communities, and systems where children’s rights are understood, respected, and upheld.

Ann pwoteje timoun yo pandan n ap respekte dwa yo.

Let’s protect children while respecting their rights.

Every day, we are working toward a world where every child is known and protected.💛

"Ann pwoteje timoun yo pandan nap respekte dwa yo."

Changing the culture that allows restavek to persist in Haiti requires more than responding when a child is already being exploited.

It requires building systems that protect children, strengthen families, uphold children’s rights, and prevent exploitation before it happens.

Protection isn’t only about responding to harm. It’s about creating a future where children are protected from it in the first place.

Let's protect children while respecting their rights.

What does a new school year make possible?

Learning new things.
Discovering new interests.
Building new friendships.
The chance to learn, grow, and imagine a different future.

This fall, 1,600 students in our Child Advocacy program across Haiti are preparing to return to school.

A gift of $590 helps make a full year of education possible for one child, including tuition, school supplies, a uniform and shoes, meals, and ongoing support from a Child Advocate.

Help open the door to a new school year: https://restavekfreedom.org/donate/back-to-school-2026/

Across Haiti, ongoing insecurity has made it increasingly difficult for children to access education.

Families have been displaced. Schools have closed or become difficult to reach. And the rising cost of daily life has placed a significant financial burden on many people, making education feel even further from reach.

When a child’s education is interrupted, the effects can extend far beyond a missed day in the classroom.

As 1,600 students in Restavek Freedom’s Child Advocacy Program prepare to return to school, consistent access to education, and the support needed to remain there, matters more than ever.

Learn how to support a student’s education in Haiti:
https://restavekfreedom.org/donate/back-to-school-2026/

Hair braiding has deep roots across Africa, where styles have long carried traces of community, memory, family, and identity.

These practices have been passed down through generations across the African diaspora: how to care for textured hair, how to braid, and how to carry these traditions forward. In Haiti, that knowledge became part of a living heritage shaped by the country’s own history, families, and creativity.

Braiding isn’t a relic from the past. It’s still being practiced, taught, adapted, and made new every day.

Whether in a salon or on a front porch, hair braiding creates a space for storytelling, skill-sharing, and the art of taking care of oneself and one another.