Summary

“Sometimes we spend more than 2 days without eating. I dream to go to school and send all my children to school but I can’t. I think that my friend and God first can help me to reach my dreams and I think God he loves me.” Gertha Saint-Juste

Household

My name is Gertha Saint-Juste. I was born in 1970 in Jeremie, Haiti. I am 33 years old. My mother’s name is Anise Midy and my father’s name Menore is Saint-Juste. They are still alive. They live in Jeremie. Both of them are farmers. My parents have not enough possibility to help me. As I was a saleswoman since my childhood I saved my money to come to Port-au-Prince with a best friend in 1991. Two years later I met Mr. Jeremy, a best friend of mine. One year later, he couldn’t help me because life became more and more difficult. I left his house and went to live with Mrs. Claudette. Some years later Mrs. Claudette and I became pregnant. As I couldn’t live with her, I had to leave her and live in my own house. I have been living that way since 2002.
I have two children. Their names are: Junior Pierre who is 14 years old. His father Asenete Pierre left me a long time ago. He does never call me and come to see his son either. And then on 2002, I met Mr. Benitho Casseur, with whom I gave birth to a beautiful daughter whose name is Benissa Casseus. She is 2 years old.
My elder son is ready to go to school. He always says, ‘Mom I would like to be a doctor for healing those who live in poverty.’ Unfortunately I can’t help him to realize his dreams.

Living conditions

SHELTER
We are 5 people living in the small house. Both of my children, my husband, my brother, my cousin and I. I have 3 brothers who are living near by with their family. They are all bricklayers.
This house in which I live belongs to me. I got this plot of land by chance. Seven years ago everyone tried to get one for me and I got one with my friend’s help. After that my friend gave me wood and sheet metal to build this house. There is not enough place for 5 people to stay here. We have only one bed. Three people sleep on it and the others sleep on the peace of carpet on the ground. We have a big problem with the roof when it rains. My husband tried to fix it but he can’t. There is no safe place to put waste. We usually put them in the cans and then throw that on a ravine near by. There is no electricity. I used candles in my house in the night.
FINANCES
My principal activity is doing laundry. I sometimes sell. I used to sell fruits, oranges, avocado. I sold them during their season. I used to do that from Monday to Friday. I stayed home on Saturday to do laundry for my family. I used to peddle my business. I walked from place to place. Sometimes I sold in the Petion-Ville public market. This job is not so easy but I think business is the best way to take care of my family. I like to do laundry and sell too. But I like more to sell because I earn more. But for about four months I haven’t done anything because I didn’t have the means.
My husband doesn’t work. He used to clean toilets, clean sewers and break rock in pieces. These jobs do not pay enough. He finds them rarely. I don’t have other practical options to make a living. I have only two options: to do laundry or to sell. But I prefer to sell. I used to save money to lend for interest to grow up my business. I used to earn 150 gourdes [$4 US] per week as benefit.
EDUCATION
I never go to school. I don’t know how to read and write because my parents didn’t have the possibility to send me. I dream to go to school and send all my children to school but I can’t. I would like to have cultivated children. I would like to know how to sew but the most important thing to me: have my own business.
HEALTH
Everybody is sick in my house. Every one isn’t healthy. I used to have fever, headache, and stomach ache, malaria. My children used to have stomach ache and fever too. I used to go the health center. But sometimes we don’t have enough money to go there. We generally get these kind of illnesses by dirty water and mosquitoes.
FOOD
I don’t eat often. We usually eat twice a day when I have money. I used to cook rice, corn, vegetables and so one. I sometimes buy on credit and I pay when I have possibility. When we don’t have anything to eat we eat bread and sugar water. Sometimes we spend more than 2 days without eating.

Community information

There is no purified water. We can buy bucket water. It costs 10 gourdes [27 cents US]. It is not nearby. We walk a long way before you get it.
Education System
There is a school for children in the area. Its name is Bayard College. It costs 1500 gourdes [$40 US] per year. It is located far from my house. We would have to go about 4 miles before getting to it. There isn’t a school for parents.
There is a Health Care service in the zone it expense for a visit a Doctor. I don’t know the price for a visit because I never go to the hospital, because I don’t have means to go it.

Personal qualities and Dreams

I am helpful and respectful. I love everybody and I love to help them. I am honest too. I don’t like to argue. I don’t love talkative people, I don’t like to chatter but I like to work. I prefer to spend all my time to work instead of chattering. My feelings are work and stay with my family. I love when my family eats at the table of brotherhood. I hope that my life changes. I would like to have the possibility to take care of my family. I would like that my friend know I love him or her and I pray God for him or her. I would like to say thanks in advance.
Dreams
I would like to have my own business. I would like to help my family. I would like all my children to go to school, and I would like to learn any skill at school. I would like to read and write. I would like to have a furnished house. I think that my friend and God first can help me to reach my dreams and I think God he loves me.

Life Plan

I am helpful and respectful. I love everybody and I love to help them. I am honest too. I don’t like to argue. I don’t love talkative people, I don’t like to chatter but I like to work. I prefer to spend all my time to work instead of chattering. My feelings are work and stay with my family. I love when my family eats at the table of brotherhood. I hope that my life changes. I would like to have the possibility to take care of my family. I would like that my friend know I love him or her and I pray God for him or her. I would like to say thanks in advance.
Dreams
I would like to have my own business. I would like to help my family. I would like all my children to go to school, and I would like to learn any skill at school. I would like to read and write. I would like to have a furnished house. I think that my friend and God first can help me to reach my dreams and I think God he loves me.

Sponsorship plan

Immediate needs:
Food, clothes, medical help, have own business
Development:
Send her children to school, help her to go to school to learn how to read and write
Help her go to vocational school
Dreams:
Help her family well
Have a furnished house
Help to sleep out of miserable life
Help her family go to school
..
The specific plan for the first year of the Partnership is as follows:
Programs for mothers:
Research and Workshops ($50)
Vocational training ($100)
Literacy training ($40)
Medical care (up to $35)
Birthday celebration ($15)
Food supplement ($60)
Available: $25 x 12 months = $300
Our main focus is personal development, especially in developing the skills that can be used to achieve the particular dream of your partner. A food supplement is included for basic nutrition so that resources and time are available to take classes. Clothing and shelter are not addressed in this plan, but options for additional help in these and other areas are available. The Financial plan page will allow you to trace how your money is being used at all times. For more details about our programs, including the research, workshops and classes which each partner participants in, go here: http://peopleinneed.info/index.php/plan/program/C95/