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KIDS for KIDS – relentless in the fight against child labour

Our goal – Prevention

The KIDS for KIDS project aims to use education and promotional activity to protect disadvantaged children in Haiti (known as ‘Restavec’ children) from exploitative child labour. We believe that we can only break the vicious circle of child labour by offering educational support and career prospects.

How we plan to achieve our goal

Logo Kindernothilfe

Through sales of VIVANI ‘KIDS for KIDS’ chocolate, we are collecting donations for Kindernothilfe projects in Haiti. The charity, Kindernothilfe, supervises the projects on-site, and ensures that the project work is of the highest quality and that the donations are used in the most efficient and outcome-oriented way possible. We expect to receive an annual total of €15000-25000 in donations. This amount goes a long way in Haiti, one of the poorest countries in the world.

Foto Kinder Kindernothilfe
Foto Schule Kindernothilfe


KIDS for KIDS charity chocolate – donations for Haiti

Tafel Kids for Kids

Here at VIVANI, we set ourselves the goal of raising money for Haiti’s poorest children. So for each KIDS for KIDS chocolate bar sold, we donate €0.10 towards the work of Kindernothilfe with Restavec children in Haiti. Our annual reports will keep you informed about the specific use of the donations and the progress of the project.
The KIDS for KIDS chocolate is available in all good organic shops and health food stores.

Foto Rocco Engler
Rocco Engler (9)

Our judging panel members were unanimous in their enthusiasm for the packaging design by 9 year-old Rocco Engler from Stephanskirchen. It is a happy and carefree picture depicting solidarity between children from different nations. Now his picture will be used to encourage people in over 50 different countries to reflect on what they are buying, and convey the message that every child has the right to a happy childhood, whether it be in Haiti, Germany or anywhere in the world.

Why Haiti?

This is a fair question. After all, at VIVANI, we obtain our primary raw material, cocoa, from other South American countries such as the Dominican Republic, Ecuador and Panama. However, none of these countries have anywhere near the huge social and economic problems faced by Haiti. These problems are, amongst other things, the result of the serious earthquake and hurricane catastrophes (‘Isaac’, ‘Katrina’) of the past few years, which have made it almost impossible for the country to find an autonomous way out of the crisis.

Foto Odana

The problem of child slavery is also a result of these disasters. It is children from vulnerable families and traumatised children who have lost relatives in a natural disaster, in particular, who are most at risk of being exploited as slaves. In many cases they are kidnapped by ruthless gangs, and sold as cheap labour and ‘house slaves’ in other countries. Here they work in inhumane conditions, in some parts for up to 16 hours a day. It is often the case that a family advocates the sale and abuse of it’s own child, as poverty and famine have left them with no other option. This creates a vicious circle, because the children grow up learning these exploitative working structures to be the ‘norm’ and usually take these ideas with them into new generations.


The Kindernothilfe Restavec Project in Haiti

Karte Haiti

What are ‘Restavecs’? They are children who have to live and work in another family under slave-like conditions. Many come from the countryside and are given away by their parents, because they cannot afford to feed them.

What is a typical day for a Restavec child?

Restavec children have to work for up to 16 hours a day, for no money. They clean, cook, wash, fetch water and look after the children of their ‘host family’. Most do not go to school and many are mistreated and abused.

How many Restavec children are there?

According to estimates, there are up to 300 000 Restavec children in Haiti, and most are to be found in the capital, Port-au-Prince. 75% of them are girls, and 10% are younger than the age of 10.

What is the charity Kindernothilfe (with the help of VIVANI) doing?

  • Implementing an informal education programme for 1495 boys and girls (Restavecs, street kids and other children in danger) in 5 neighbourhoods of Port-au-Prince. This includes lessons, meals, vocational training, health and hygiene education and educational work with host families and the public.
  • They rebuilt a school for Restavec children in the slum area Wharf Jérémie, after the earthquake. Today 263 children are educated and looked after there, and 55% of them are Restavecs. 2 further classrooms are being added on, which will enable more children to attend the school.
  • Creating integration classes for Restavecs in additional school projects. In these classes they can catch up on schooling they have missed. The classes are specially tailored to their needs.
    Rural education programmes ensure the survival of children and their families in the countryside, and should prevent parents sending their children away to work in other families.