Summary

“I am suffering much from hunger. I am healthy but my mother is sick. I don’t eat regularly. I eat two times a day. In the morning I drink coffee with bread and the afternoon I always eat corn. My mother uses a can of corn peas and sometimes just white….I love other children. I love to smile and I am shy sometimes.” Naika Joseph

Household

My name is Naika Joseph. I am 8 years old. I was born in Delmas 75 (a slum in Port-au-Prince, Haiti). I used to go to school but I stopped going since this year. I was in 2nd grade. I didn’t go to school because my father doesn’t have money to pay my school.
My mother’s name is Guerda Jasmin
My father’s name is Joseph Stenie. I live with mother, she has 4 children:
Jean Vassela is 14 years
Kattiana Vassela is 13 years
Joseph Jonas is 18 years
Joseph Naika is 8 years
The father Stenio says, “Since I met Naika’s mother I did never live with her, but I rent a room house for her and my daughter.”

Living conditions

Naika says, “I am suffering much from hunger.”
Job Opportunities
My mother doesn’t work and also my father right now, but my father is a tailor. He didn’t find a job because he isn’t a good tailor. He doesn’t have a higher education.
My mother used to sell things. She stopped because the money she used wasn’t hers. It was a loan from someone.
My mother’s house here isn’t enough space for everybody because it is a one room house. It is rented. It costs $1000 Ht for one year ($126 US). There are a lot of problems in the house. Whenever it rains water gets us because the top of the roof is leaking. There isn’t any safe place to put sewage. And garbage. As we live near a ravine, we throw garbage, sewage and dirty water in the ravine. There are a lot of rats, there are bugs. Sometimes rats spoil our clothes. There is no electric power.
Education
I used to attend school but I sopped in 2nd grade because my mother doesn’t have the means. I love school. In fact, I would like to go back to school.
Health and Food
“I am healthy but my mother is sick. My mother is suffering head ache, and belly ache. She is never going to the hospital, because she doesn’t have money. I don’t eat regularly. I eat two times a day. In the morning I drink coffee with bread and the afternoon I always eat corn. My mother uses a can of corn peas and sometimes just white. This meal is sharing for 5 people. Sometimes my mother shares with neighbor.

Community information

Stenio the father says, “There is not pure water in the area, but there is a private tank of water. It costs 5 gourdes ($14 cents US) for a bucket. It is not safe to drink but we afford it to drink. Maybe that’s the reason sometimes we get malaria?
Education system and opportunities
Stenio the father: “There is a school nearby. Its name is Fisecam. It is a private school, and costs $100Ht ($14 US) to enter and $100Ht per month.
Local health services
There is a clinic nearby but I don’t really know the price for visit and medicine.
Legal political
In this zone we are safe here; there is police close to us. I can tell we are very safe here.
In the neighborhood, there are some people sometimes, they celebrate, organize party but not about us, and we never have fun because we don’t have a way to do that.

Personal qualities

Naika: “I am gentile. I am obedient. I love to work. I am washing dishes in my house. I love school. I would like to go to school. I am respectful. I don’t like to tell lie. I am patient. I don’t like to fight. I am Christian. I love to go to church and I love God. I love to study. I am friendly; I have a lot of friends that I am playing with. I love to sing in my church. I am in the group in my church. I love other children. I like music but specially compa (it is a kind of Haitian Music). I speak French and Creole. I like to dance. I love to smile and I am shy sometimes.
Dreams
The most important things for me are: My education, and my life. I would like to go back to school. I would like to become a teacher. I want to be able to teach people. I would like to find food regularly to eat. I like to have a lot of clothes to wear. I would like my mother find money to go to see a doctor. I would like to stay in a better house with my parents.

Life Plan

Sponsorship plan

Immediate needs:
Food, clothes, going to school and medicine for the mother
Development:
A small business for the mother, send Naika to play music
Dreams:
She would like to become a teacher and a famous artist

Interview details

This interview was conducted and corrected by Cajuste Jean Louis. Date: August 1st, 2008