Summary

Melissa is a six year old girl living in one of the poorest slums in the Western Hemisphere. She does not go to school. Her family can’t afford more than one meal a day for her, just rice and peas. Sponsorship level: $12 per month.

Household

Melissa was born in Cite Soleil, Port-au-Prince, one of the poorest slums in Haiti. She’s six years old. She is living with her mother, and her father is dead. She stopped going to school last year. Her mother’s name is Guerline Charles. Guerline has three children, but she doesn’t have money to take care of them. Melissa likes to go to school. She wants to finish high school at 18 years old. “My mother is working and my family is living nearby and all my family is poor.”

Living conditions

Living conditions
General economic situation
Melissa’s mother Guerline is working in a building apartment. “She works every day and the job is not easy, but there is no better way to do it. She just does it. My mother does not like this job.” She is earning $200 Haitian dollars (US $26.66) per month.
Job opportunities
Guerline says she can create a small business. “Because my last business I made was selling rice oil, potatoes, and butter, and my income was $250 Haitian dollars (US $33), and expenses were $240 Haitian dollars (US $32) per month.”
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“I rent a house. The cost of rent is $333 Haitian dollars (US $44) per month. The cost of each month for all things is $600 Haitian dollars (US $84). We don’t have enough space to live and everybody is sleeping together. The home we are living in is not good because it has only one small room, and there is a dirt floor. The roof is leaking when it’s raining. I need money to change the plastic of the top and a safe place to put the waste.”
Education
The mother Guerline didn’t go to school. Her only skill is cooking. “I can read and write.”
Health and food
“Everybody is healthy. We eat one time per day. We eat rice, with peas. There are two cans of rice and peas for seven people. A normal meal is two cans of rice, sometime peas and vegetable. There is no meat. The most is two cans of rice and the least is one can, without peas, just white .When we are hungry , we ask some friends for help.”

Community information

“We get the water from very far. It’s not safe to drink. It lasts three days. A bucket (5 gallons) costs 7goudes (about 25 US cents).”
Education system and opportunities
The closest school for the children is one hour walking. The mother doesn’t think about going for training. She prefer to do a business
Legal and political
“Our community is not safe. There are criminals and thieves. We are not safe here. If I could I would like to move in a better place.”
Economic situation of the community
“There is no market nearby. Our religion is Pentecostal. We believe in Jesus Christ and every Sunday we are going to church.”

Personal qualities

(These responses from Melissa’s mother. You may ask Melissa any other questions you like.)
The mother Guerline says that she is generous, loving, helpful, sharing and hard-working. “I’m a helpful person. My interest and talent is working everywhere. The people mention I cook well. I admire love and I least like being angry. I would like to change my poverty life. What I think, I don’t live like a person being. I want to have the opportunity to get food to live.”
“Religion is important for me. It influences me. It makes me the person I am at this time .I would like the friends the US to know I don ‘t live well. So I am a good person, and I love everybody.”

Life Plan

Immediate needs
Get enough food to eat.
Go to school.
Development
Go to school.
Possibly help mother start a business.
Dreams
“I care about my education and I would like to finish my classical school and go to the university to learn about computers.”

Sponsorship

Interview details