The term Restavec (also spelled 'Restavek'; deriving from the French phrase reste avec, meaning "stay with") refers to a social system in Haiti whereby parents unable to care for their children send them to relatives or strangers living in more urban areas where they receive food and housing (and sometimes an education) in exchange for light housework. In reality Restavecs often live in grinding poverty, enslaved to their 'hosts' and seldom receiving an education. The Restavec system is considered a form of slavery.
More than 300,000 children are estimated to be restaveks. Very little attention is given to this issue and I only came across two organizations/homes for these children. 3/4 of restaveks are girls and yet one of the homes is for boys only. Interesting.
And yes, it is illegal.
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