Mission
Restavek Freedom
Restavek Freedom : End Child Slavery in Haiti in Our Lifetime
Sponsoring P&G Alumni
Sponsoring Alum: Charles L. Kellam
36 years at P&G: CBD, Customer Relations, PS in Cincinnati and other US geographies
Charles’ involvement with Restavek Freedom (RF) began in 2008 when his visit to Haiti showed him both a shocking lack of infrastructure (electricity, sanitation systems, roads) AND an amazing resilience among the Haitian people, inspiring him to get involved.
Charles writes: “I have been involved with Restavek Freedom Foundation since the fall of 2008, serving on the Board from 2011 to 2021 and sponsoring children in the Child Advocacy Program. Our staff, our partners and above all the children demonstrate the tremendous potential for change on a daily basis. The Computer Skills training program at our Port Salut Learning Center continues to be in high demand. Teachers, pastors and community leaders have come to request a course, resulting in many job opportunities and positively impacting many families. I expect the same positive results from the computer skills training that will take place in our new Learning Center at St. Michel with help from the P&G Alumni Foundation.”
Computer Training
The target beneficiaries for this project are youths in the St. Michel de l’Atalye county of Haiti. An estimated half of the St. Michel county’s population of 150,000 is under 25 years old and of prime age to learn career skills essential in a 21st century economy; the youth unemployment rate in Haiti is 63%. St. Michel is within reasonable transport of 2 of Haiti’s 5 largest cities and so can support businesses who need computerized data skill sets (i.e. there is a market.) Students for this project will have had some education and will be literate; most will be high school students or young adults. Students will be trained in basic computer usage and in common applications such as Windows, Word, Excel and Power Point. Students will follow a 5 module, 14-month course that meets twice each week for 2 hours. Testing for each module will ensure that students have mastered course content. Initially we will support 2 cohorts of 15 students, As with our Computer Training center in Port Salut, we expect to increase each cohort to our 20- person capacity and also gradually expand the number of cohorts to serve the St. Michel population.
2025 Grant
The PGAF grant funds of $15,000 will support computer skills training for 30 young people in the St. Michel de l’Atalye county of Haiti to create a sustainable income for the students and their families. Specifically, funds will be used to purchase computer equipment, hire a course coordinator and to replicate the Port Salut training curriculum for the St. Michel site. In the initial phase about 30 jobs will be created, impacting 170 people. As with our startup at Port Salut, we expect the impact to grow with each passing year.
Success Story
Though additional stories will be provided in the Marketing Request form, Charles provides in his sponsoring letter a story that illustrates the importance/relevance of the computer centers like that which PGAF will be supporting next year —
When Restavek Freedom started offering computer classes at Port Salut, it was shocking just how in-demand the courses were. Teachers, pastors, and community leaders all came in to ask that Restavek Freedom run a course for them and those they knew who would benefit from it. The courses helped graduates enter the job markets, sometimes in surprising ways! In one example, a graduate named Oze was able to leverage his newfound skills to open a cybercafe where he makes copies, prepares resumes, types exams for schools, and prepares homework and gradebooks, among other things. He filled an essential gap in the community that has enabled schools to operate more efficiently, reduced barriers for people applying for jobs, and enhanced connectivity. It also serves as a steady source of income for him and his family, allowing him to build a house and to avoid the kind of poverty that compels families to send away their children into restavek. Another graduate, Beaudrun, obtained a job teaching computer classes at a school thanks to the skills she gained during computer courses. She said, “As the world is evolving, it is very important to have computer skills. I wish there were more opportunities for more people to participate in this course.” Restavek Freedom aims to make that possible.