Chevelin is a very talented artist from Pétionville, Haiti who tell stories through his amazing Illustrations. This particular story is my favorite, it’s so heartbreaking yet beautifully illustrated.
A Restavek (from the French language reste avec, “one who stays with”) is a child who is sent or sold by their parents to work for a host household as a domestic servant because the parents lack the resources required to support the child. Restavek may refer to a child staying with a host family, but usually refers specifically to those who are abused.
In Haiti, parents unable to care for children may send them to live with who they believe to be more affluent families. This is perceived as acceptable because in Haitian culture, it is ubiquitous for housing to be shared among members of an extended family, including distant relatives. (In contrast, the concept of a single nuclear family occupying each household is seen as desirable in other cultures.) Often these relatives, or nonrelated individuals who purchase these children, are living in more urban areas. The children receive food and housing (and sometimes an education) in exchange for housework. However, many restavecs live in poverty,they most often do not receive proper education and sometimes, the child could be abused, beaten or raped. The United Nations considers this to be a “modern form of slavery” – Continue reading here.
Follow Chevelin’s Facebook and instagram here . All of the pictures here are from the story posted on his instagram page.
Check out his website here
