Schools Not Slavery for Rural Haitian Children

We are deeply grateful for your continued generosity and solidarity with Haiti's children. Because of your support, the Schools Not Slavery project is transforming lives on Lagonav Island and beyond. This report shares the progress your support made possible during the first quarter of 2025. We hope it brings you hope and inspiration, just as your gifts bring hope to children, families, and communities across Haiti.

Thanks to your support, the Model Community Initiative Program continues to pursue a bold vision: a Haiti where every child lives free and in dignity with family, goes to school, and has the chance to shape a hopeful future—without ever becoming a victim of restavèk (forced servitude) or other forms of violence and exploitation.

This quarter, your support made it possible to:

• Mobilize over 3,350 community members to take action against child exploitation.
• Train church leaders in 21 congregations to educate their members about children's rights and the harms of restavèk.
• Launch psychosocial support groups and literacy classes for adult survivors.
• Help 114 children enroll or stay in school.
• Strengthen grassroots community and survivor networks.

A Success Story You Made Possible: From Survivor to Leader

One powerful testament to your impact comes from a survivor of restavèk who is now a community leader:

"I came to understand that what I lived through as a child was the practice of restavèk, and it left deep scars. But today, thanks to the survivor network and Beyond Borders' IKM Program, I’m a leader in my section—even the network president! I’ve received training, I support other survivors, and I raise awareness in my community. Children are now going to school. I am deeply proud of what we are achieving."

Your support made this transformation possible. Thank you for helping survivors become leaders in the movement to end child slavery.

You are Mobilizing Communities to End Child Exploitation

Thanks to you, Beyond Borders and our partners organized more than 40 public education and mobilization events across Lagonav and northern and central Haiti this quarter, including:

• 42 Ti Rankont Sektè small-group discussions in churches.
• 46 sermons focused on children’s rights and dignity.
• 22 community-led events by survivor networks reaching over 1,000 people.

Your support also enabled:

• A press conference demanding a juvenile court be established on Lagonav.
• Open space dialogues involving more than 500 residents in six communal sections.

You are Equipping Survivors with New Skills and Support

Because of your generosity, survivors of restavèk are healing, learning, and leading:

• 310 adult survivors joined psychosocial support groups in 54 communities.
• 264 survivors began literacy classes across 19 locations.
• 23 literacy group facilitators were trained to lead these classes.

Survivors are also accessing economic empowerment through savings and loan groups, thanks to you.

You are Protecting Children at Risk

Your support is directly protecting children from harm:

• 1 girl was liberated from the restavèk system.
• 17 children received protective care services: medical, psychological, and legal.
• 33 children enrolled in school with support from community protection teams.

Each of these children is safer and more hopeful today because of you.

You are Expanding Access to Quality Education

Together, we’re ensuring more children can access school and succeed:

• 114 children were enrolled or retained in school through local education platforms.
• 94 teachers were trained in active, participatory, and nonviolent classroom methods.
• 21 local education platforms held quarterly meetings to coordinate support for students.

You are helping build a sustainable local system that keeps kids in school and out of slavery.

Thank You Again

Every accomplishment shared in this report is thanks to you. Your generosity and solidarity are helping Haitian communities end the restavèk system, build local leadership, and ensure every child has the chance to grow up free, safe, and educated.

We are so grateful to walk this journey with you. If you have any questions about what you read here, please email or call Brian Stevens at b.stevens@beyondborders.net or (305) 450-2561.

Links:

• Join us for the Haiti Hope-a-thon May 20th @ 7 pm!
• Join us for an in-depth look at our Rethinking Power program.
• Read The Lancet article on our violence prevention work.