Saturday, March 11 • Time: 2pm-4pm • Location: Valencia Heritage Park
24155 Newhall Ranch Rd Santa Clarita, CA 91355 • Cost: $25

Connect 2 Ministries invites you to join us for a family fun event as we walk together to raise awareness about restavek children in Haiti.

Thank You, Title Sponsor!

The title “restavek” has been used to describe an abused child who lives with and serves a family that is not his or her biological family. The children are either sold by their own family to another that is financially able to provide, or they are orphans with no family to care for them. The children are extremely vulnerable, living as modern-day slaves. The original term and meaning of this title “restavek” was once used as a verb. Meaning “to stay with,” it originally described the action of living alongside another, but it now communicates something very different. The majority of restaveks in Haiti are physically, sexually, and emotionally abused. They are regularly starved, beaten, and taken advantage of. Grievously, this reality is a common occurrence and has become a cultural norm for the people of Haiti.

The country of Haiti is home to approximately 300,000 restaveks. This means that around 1 in 15 Haitian children is currently enslaved. Due to the current political and economic situation in Haiti, Connect 2 Ministries expects this number to grow substantially.

One aspect of Connect 2 Ministries’ efforts has been to provide a safe and loving home for rescued restaveks. These children are also provided with a formal and government-recognized education. The homes C2M provides are unique because, unlike many other children’s homes, we have no “age out” policy. Before a restavek leaves one of the Children’s Homes, we make sure they have all the tools they need to live as successful adults in their communities.