You're lying on a dusty floor, your stomach cramping from the pains of hunger. Your muscles are sore, still carrying the weight of the life you've lived. You're surrounded by people, but you feel lonely and unloved. You don't know where your next meal is coming from, or if there will even be a next meal, and so you wait on the floor for a new dreadful day to begin, praying that a miracle might occur. This would be your life if you were a Restavek child in Haiti.

For those of you who don't know, which I imagine is the majority of you as this topic is not talked about enough, Restavek is a system of child slavery that still exists in Haiti. In Creole, "Restavek" means "to stay with," stemming from the French words "rester" which means to stay and "Avec" which means with. In the Restavek system, Haitian children, usually orphaned or those plagued by extreme poverty, are sent to stay with wealthy families, neighbors, relatives and sometimes even strangers. Once relocated, these children become domestic slaves -- abused, uneducated and unloved.

I was introduced to the topic of Restavek in my high school French class; my French teacher was a bright and compassionate woman with a soft spot in her heart for the children of Haiti. When we first started talking about the subject, it was difficult to fathom that children younger than me were doing hard manual labor daily, with no food and no hope of a better life. My classmates and I were distraught that such a horrendous system was being perpetuated in modern times without any of us knowing. However, we were lucky enough to meet some amazing people who are actively trying to end the Restavek system when Restavek Freedom Foundation brought their exhibit to our high school's library for a day.

Restavek Freedom Foundation is a charitable organization based in Cincinnati, Ohio who work to educate the public on what Restavek is, and to help the Haitian children affected by it. They have two locations in Haiti -- in Port-au-Prince and Port Salut -- where their staff work to better the lives of Restavek children by taking them out of slavery and into a transitional home and a child advocacy program in order to educate these children and to nurture their souls. Restavek Freedom Foundation also works to establish a healthier mindset in Haitian communities on how to end this system of child slavery and better the lives of their children through literacy lessons and public discussions on the rights of children as human beings and ways to end slavery in their community.

Restavek Freedom's work doesn't only take place in Haiti, however; they also have a touring exhibit, the one that I was lucky enough to see, that demonstrates the characteristics of Restavek slavery. You can have this exhibit brought to your school, organization or church to learn about the issue. This exhibit is very powerful, with the main attraction being three stations that explain the different types of abuse these children face and how we can help. During the exhibit you will also be told the stories of the children Restavek has helped since their start in 2007. This exhibit is a great way to start becoming an advocate for children's rights and to become more aware of the issues our world still faces.

If you're looking for a hands-on way to help the efforts of Restavek Freedom they also have opportunities to sponsor one of the children in their care, to donate money to the cause, and to become an advocate for Restavek Freedom. Human rights is an important issue, and it's best to start teaching respect and love as young as we can. Haiti isn't the only country where tragedies like this exist and Haitian children aren't the only ones in need of help, but helping the children of Haiti is one way to ensure that each night, one less child will go to bed hungry, and one more child will go to bed feeling hopeful.

(Disclaimer: I do not work for Restavek Freedom Foundation, nor am I the owner of the majority of these photos, if there is incorrect representation of the Restavek cause or of Restavek Freedom Foundation I am deeply sorry as this is a cause I am passionate about.)