#SchoolsNotSlavery Restavèk Slavery in Haiti

#SchoolsNotSlavery A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A CHILD IN restavèk slavery school Last hour of sleep Wake up, empty chamber pots, make beds. 5:00 AM before the school day ahead! Walk to get buckets of water & groceries, 6:00 AM Shower, then mom braids my hair. then wash the dishes. Walk the other children to First class. Teacher 7:30 AM school, I REALLY wish I could go. tells me l'm very smart. Fetch more water. So 9:00 AM Math class. Right now we're learning much laundry to do. No time to shower. times tables. + - X = Knuckles are raw from all Lunch! Recess! the scrubbing. Punished for spilling bleach on my 11:00 AM Favorite part of the day. faunt's" blouse. Pick the children up from school. Stop at the store so they can buy candy. After school lessons 1:30 PM with my tutor. Help my "aunt" prep din- ner. Do what she asks & hope not to be beaten. 3:00 PM Playing with the neighbors. I love dinnertime. My sisters always make me laugh at the table! Take my food to the 5:30 PM corner of the kitchen to eat alone. Family sits on the porch together telling jokes and stories. Mom strokes my head as I lie in her lap. Sweep every room in the house, iron school 8:00 PM uniforms and shine children's shoes. In the middle of a deep sleep next to my sister. I love our room. Shake out my bedding on the floor, lie down next to the cat. Sleep, finally. midnight restavèk (n.) : a form a modern slavery affecting 250,000 Haitian children. BEYOND BORDERS