CPR-3 is excited to announce a new initiative in the arena of justice, the #STOPdoingWRONG Campaign.
The #STOPdoingWRONG Campaign seeks to address the social injustices that plague the people of Haiti everyday through education, advocacy, and collaborative partnerships. We believe that everyone, from child to adult, deserves equal economic, political and social rights and opportunities that adhere to Biblical principles.
Isaiah 1:16-17 “Stop doing wrong, learn to do right! Seek justice, encourage the oppressed. Defend the cause of the fatherless, plead the case of the widow.”
What is the focus of this campaign?
The #STOPdoingWRONG Campaign will start by seeking to address the issue of child slavery in Haiti known as “Restavek”. Over 250,000 children in Haiti are Restaveks, a modern day form of child slavery that persists throughout Haiti. An estimated 30% of Haitian households have a restavek child. Some estimates say upwards of 500,000 children are restaveks in Haiti alone, with another 3,000 sent to live in the Dominican Republic and some sent to the United States.
What is a “Restavek”?
Restavek is Creole for “One who stays with” Typically, children born into rural poverty are sent by their families to live with family or strangers in urban areas, lured through false promises of education, food, and jobs. Once there, they are forced to work an average of 18-20 hours per day for no pay, given inferior food and clothing compared to other children in the home, sleep on the floor rather than in a bed, are allowed no time out for play, and are kept hidden from Haitian society. If these children do not perform, they are beaten, cast into the street, or killed.
How will CPR-3 help?
CPR-3 is working to build partners within the communities we work with to not only understand the depth of the problem, but also work collaboratively with families and communities to free these children. Teaming with schools, medical clinics, churches, and more, CPR-3 is working to develop Justice Coalitions to work with families and communities to increase economic sustainability and relieve the structural conditions that have caused restavek in the first place.
Once children are out of restavek, we will connect them with educational, health, and nutrition services while working with pastors and community members towards our main goal of reunification with their biological families. If reunification is not possible, we will work to partner with a local childcare home to place the child.
What you can do to help?
You can become a part of the #STOPdoingWRONG campaign by partnering with us in prayer, education, and advocating in your communities about the plight of the restaveks. Everyday, more and more children are taken from their homes, separated from their families, and lose their childhoods.
Support the campaign through donations and fundraising at your organization. These funds will assist in the start-up costs for the campaign, such as equipment to map the assets in our community, costs to help facilitate Justice Coalitions, and development of educational materials.
Sponsor a child through CPR-3. Working with our partner schools, you can help sponsor the physical and educational needs of a restavek child. You will not only be able to provide the opportunity for these children to attend school, but help cover additional costs for services and reuniting them with their biological families.
Introducing our Director.
We are excited to introduce Cory St. Esprit as the Director of our #STOPdoingWRONG Campaign. Cory is currently a doctoral student in geography at Kent State University, where he is studying the restavek child slave injustices in Haiti. Prior to joining CPR-3, he was on staff with a church in the northern suburbs of Pittsburgh, PA where he served with student ministry, sports ministry, and was a part of ministry in Cap Haitien, Haiti. He attends Grace Church in Akron, OH, where he first got involved with CPR-3. Cory and his wife Abbey live in Cuyahoga Falls, OH where he also works with the United Way of Summit County. Cory is passionate about fighting injustices against children and sharing Christ with others.
Be sure to check out more information about this Campaign on our website: www.stopdoingwrong.com