A slideshow illustrating the past, present, and future of the Hearts Together for Haiti Kay Nou project.

1. Kay Nou
After the Earthquake:
Hope for another group of girls
Espwa fè viv * Hope makes you live

2. Prisca lost her family in the earthquake.
She is at-risk of becoming a restavec.

3. Restavec: a child who lives with another
family, not as a foster child, but as their
servant.

4. Restavecs are either orphans, or come
from extremely poor families that cannot
afford to take care of them.

5. Restavecs are up before dawn and go to
bed after most of the children are asleep.
They prepare the family meals, fetch
water, clean the inside and outside of the
house, do laundry, and empty bedpans,
getting no pay for any of their activities.

6. Restavecs are hungry, and are usually
unable to attend school, or enjoy their
childhood.

7. RESTAVEC

9. Haiti, 2009 (before the earthquake): about
225,000 children were restavecs

10. Because of the increased number of orphans,
the situation is expected to worsen.

11. The situation is worse for females, who
may otherwise have no other choice but
prostitution.

13. According to Pan-American Development
Foundation, restavecs - mostly young girls
- suffer sexual, psychological, and physical
abuse while toiling away in hardship.

14. They recommend educating the poor and
expanding shelters for girls, who make up
an estimated two-thirds of the restavec
population.

15. The Kay Nou (Our House) home for girls

17. Charité, the house mother in Labadie, Haiti

20. The United Nations Children’s Fund
(UNICEF) recommends reuniting
restavecs with their biological families
whenever possible.

21. We have also done this with a group of girls

22. The girls at the Kay Nou house

24. THE GOALS OF KAY NOU
To provide
another option for
children who may
otherwise be
forced into the
restavec system

25. Provide a group of girls with the basic
needs of shelter, clothing, nutrition,
medical care and sanitation

26. Allow
opportunities for
the girls to actively
participate in the
program through
crafts and
gardening.

27. Support the emotional needs of the girls, and
establish an arts and music therapy program.

28. Give each child an
opportunity to
complete their
education, ultimately
allowing them to
become self-sufficient,
employed adults.

29. Create the same opportunities for other
children, as resources allow.

31. The convent in Haiti, with whom we will collaborate,
Soeurs de St. Jean Evangeliste

32. Jumann & Jo
Barbosa, the
future house
mother and
father

37. Angela at her First Communion,
which she had requested

42. www.htfhaiti.org