Project profile — Adressing Child Domestic Work in Haïti

• Haiti (100.00%)

• Other Social Infrastructure And Services: Social services (incl youth development and women+ children) (16015) (100.00%)

• Desertification (not targeted)
• Children's issues (principal objective)
• Biodiversity (not targeted)
• Indigenous Issues (not targeted)
• Environmental sustainability (cross-cutting) (not targeted)
• Participatory development and good governance (not targeted)
• Climate change mitigation (not targeted)
• Gender equality (significant objective)
• ICT as a tool for development (not targeted)
• Youth Issues (significant objective)
• Urban issues (not targeted)
• Disability (not targeted)
• Trade development (not targeted)
• Climate Change Adaptation (not targeted)

This project aims to protect children from poor families who are sent to live with more affluent host families to do domestic work. The parents hope that these children are cared for, receive a good education and have a better life in exchange for domestic work. However, the reality is that these children, 58% of whom are girls, are often victims of exploitation and abuse and deprived of their rights to education and protection. This initiative aims to protect children in domestic and abusive situations in three ways: removing children living in unacceptable conditions from their host families; educating families on children's rights; and ensuring the right to education for children or vocational training for youth (aged 14 to 17). The project also prevents domestic child work by raising awareness, strengthening the Haitian Labor Code and promoting the adoption of the Child Protection Code.

The expected outcomes of this project include: (1) protecting children from domestic work, taking into account the special needs of girls and boys and providing them with education in 25 targeted communities; (2) preventing child domestic work under unacceptable conditions, taking into account equality between girls and boys; and (3) strengthening the policy and legislative framework for the protection of children and the elimination of child labour, in particular domestic work.

Results achieved as of the end of the project (June 2021) include: (1) reunited 3,491 children (1,891 girls) and domestic workers separated from their families due to unacceptable situations with their families. This number includes 2,653 children (1,388 girls) in the reporting year; (2) 3,259 children (1,665 girls) received individualized support for their reintegration into education, including cash transfers, training for their families, and remedial classes. This number includes 1,452 children (815 girls) newly enrolled during the reporting period; (3) 998 child survivors of gender-based violence (GBV) (611 girls) received temporary shelter and food, psychosocial support, and referrals for further medical care. Of these 321 children, including 170 girls and 151 boys, benefited during the 2020 to 2021 period; (4) 6,442 households, including 5,034 led by women, have received economic support through cash transfers. Of the female-led households, 94% (4,731 women out of a total of 5,034 women) reported feeling more empowered after receiving monetary support; (5) 83,836 people, including 53,531 girls, 42,926 women, 52,046 boys and 35,333 men, actively participated in activities raising awareness of child rights, prevention of GBV, and response to survivors of GBV and domestic child labour; (6) strengthened the foster care system, and the number of foster families accredited by the Social Welfare and Research Institution increased to 150 families; and (7) 1,631 adolescents (794 girls and 837 boys) aged 14 to 17 received vocational training in different trades (cutting/sewing, agricultural techniques, plumbing, plastic arts, tiling, etc.).

• Proactive disclosure