In 2011, Luckner "Maya" Fond-Rose helped the Haitian Timoun Foundation start a Saturday program for restavèk children (household servants) who were living in the same life he once escaped. Fifteen years later, Rejoice is still helping invisible children be seen and experience belonging.

When HTF’s In-Country Director, Luckner Fond-Rose, was six years old, his grandmother died. An aunt took him to Port au Prince with promises of food, a home, and a chance to go to school. Those promises were broken right away. Like thousands of children in Haiti's restavèk system, Luckner became an indentured servant in the home. He cooked, cleaned, and ran errands. He owned one set of worn clothes, had no shoes, and slept on cardboard on a dirt floor. He endured constant abuse, and there was no one to help him. He was unseen, unheard and not valued.

After running a family errand to the market and returning with the wrong rice, Luckner was beaten. He had a gash in his head and was bleeding. That day, Luckner ran away. He lived on the streets of Port au Prince for six months before being taken to a detention center for street youth. Once a month, the director of a nearby boys' home would visit during the lunch hour. One day, he noticed something: Luckner had no shoes. It was a quiet sign that no one was looking after him or providing for his needs. It was on that day Luckner was chosen to join St. Joseph's Home for Boys.

The day Luckner arrived, everything began to change. He was welcomed with clapping, singing, and cups of cold water. He was told he mattered. The boys gave him the name he's still known by today: Maya. For the first time, he felt loved and belonged.

Born From His Own Story

It was at the home where Maya learned and grew into a leader with deep compassion for children, especially those who suffer. Maya saw potential where others saw limitations. On an early trip to Haiti, HTF Founders, Rick and Harriet Barger, met Maya when he was serving as the Program Director at Wings of Hope, a home for differently-abled individuals. The Bargers and Maya developed a close relationship, and over the past 25 years, Maya has become a vital part of HTF’s mission to see lives transformed in Haiti.

*Rick Barger and Luckner “Maya” Fond-Rose on one of Rick’s many trips to Haiti.*

In 2011, he launched the Rejoice program to serve restavèk children living the life he once lived. Through Rejoice, invisible children could attend a Saturday program where they learn, play, are loved and valued. Through this time together, they gain a sense of belonging. With someone investing in them and telling them they are a child of God, they gain confidence and self-worth. With this change, the family also begins to see them differently. They begin to treat them differently.

Fifteen Years of Creating Belonging

Maya’s story reflects a full-circle moment. The boy who once knew abuse and neglect now helps children discover that they are worthy of love. The child who was denied an education now helps open doors of opportunity for others. The child who once had no voice has become the voice for those who are unseen and unheard.

His story is a beautiful reminder that our deepest wounds do not have to define our future. Through Maya’s pain, he has found purpose. He knows the suffering of restavèks because he lived it. Maya has used this experience to show compassion and bring hope to others.

Over the past fifteen years, Rejoice has grown from a Saturday program where children who were not attending school could learn, experience belonging, and gain self-confidence. Today, every Rejoice student attends school during the week and gathers on Saturdays to develop life skills, grow in confidence, and experience a community that values and sees them.

Maya took his childhood experience and turned it into hope for others. He refused to allow what happened to him to define him. Not only has Maya written a new story for himself and his family, but he’s become an advocate for children who are often forgotten. He has created a community where every child knows they deserve to be seen, loved and know they are valued.