Summary

“My father is in prison. Now, only my grand mother takes care of us.  If we don’t have anything to eat, and our neighbors don’t have either, and we spend the day with no food. The most important thing for me is school. I would really love to go to school.” Jules Loudia

Household

My name is Jules Loudia. I am 12 years old. I was born on October 30, 1996, in Jeremie. My mother moved to Cite Soleil [a slum in the capital, Port-au-Prince] with me when I was one month old. I have been living in Cite Soleil for 11 years and 11 months. My mother’s name is Wilma Genesma. She is 36 years old. Now, my mother is living in Jeremie.
My father Friztnel Jules, is a poorer in the public Market. He is 40 years old. Now, he is prison. He has been in corrected for a month. I am living with my grandmother these days. My mother has three other children and they are living with her in Jeremie. Me, I am living with my grandmother because my mother could no longer take care of me. My father has 7 children. Four with my mother and the three others with another woman.
My grandmother’s name Antoinise Florestal. She is 60 years old. My grandfather died 5 years ago. When my father was not in detention, he used to help us. Now, only my grandmother takes care of us. My grandmother sells cigarettes, alcohol and coals. She borrows money from other sales people to do this business. And she refunds them their money with interest. She has been doing this business since she was young.

Living conditions

Job opportunities
My grandmother used to sell coal, cigarettes and alcohol. She’s been doing that since she was young. She used to sell everyday at our house. But nowadays, things are very expensive. So she has to stop because she can no longer afford it. This kind of business is not lucrative. However, it used to help us buy water to do the laundry and soap to take a bath.
The house belongs to my grandmother. There is not enough space to sleep. I sleep on the carpet. Only my grandmother has a bed. The house is not in a good location. There are several reasons for this:
First, there is a lot of dust. Second, whenever it rains sewage invades our house. Third, we hear too many guns shots. The roof of my grandmother’s house has a lot of holes from bullets of guns. Whenever it rains, there is a lot of water in the house. Because it leaks. My grandmother puts a plastic under the roof to remedy to this problem. We throw our sewage and garbage behind the house. We don’t have a toilet. There are a lot of big rats and bugs in the house. We have electricity; we pay $10Ht [$1.42 US] per month.
Health and Food
I am not healthy. I usually have a stomachache. My grandmother has high-blood pressure and she has problems in her eyes.
My little brother has migraines. He has fever and terrible cold.
We don’t often go to Hospital. We can see a doctor twice a year.
The people in the neighborhood usually have fever, cold, and migraine.
There is a lot of dust in the neighborhood. I guess that’s the cause of the sickness.
I don’t often eat. I eat in the morning. Only if a neighbor gives me something to eat. Sometimes, we eat twice a week. My grandmother sometimes cooks rice or anything that’s eatable For example: She can cook a can of rice, sometimes with beans, sometimes with vegetables. We share it with our neighbors and send it to my father who is in prison. We don’t have other options. If we don’t have anything to eat, and our neighbors don’t have either, and we spend the day with no food.

Community information

We have a cistern of water nearby, about 4 minutes on foot. It costs 5 gourdes [$13 cents US] to get a bucket. It is not safe to drink but we have to drink it. It lasts 2 days without spoiling. We always use this water for washing.
Education system and opportunities
In this area there are two schools nearby: One is Action Chrétien, it is about 5 minutes on foot. The other one is CHAPI, it’s about 3 minutes. But Action Chrétien is cheaper than CHAPI, that the reason we prefer to go to Action Chrétien.
Legal Political
We are safe here but there is no police. We try to make peace ourselves, when there is trouble in the country some another people come here to kill people. For example, the are stealers who sometimes come to hide. And we detect them, we call police for them.

Personal qualities and Dreams

I am very polite. I don’t steal from my grandmother. I love other children. I respect my grandmother. I love to share what I have. I can do the laundry. I can cook. I can comb other children’s hair. I don’t like the neighborhood, but we have to stay here because we don’t have any other house to move, and we don’t have money to rent one.
Dreams
The most important thing for me is school. I would really love to go to school. I would like to learn how to sew. I would like to learn how to speak English and French. I would like to become a doctor. I would like to leave this neighborhood. I would like to have a house. I would like to have a business.

Specific programs

The specific plan for the first year of the Partnership is as follows:
Programs for children
Research and Workshops ($35)
School, including uniform and supplies ($98)
Medical care (up to $35)
Birthday celebration ($12)
Saturday class: How to write a letter to your partner
Available: $15 x 12 months = $180
Our main focus is personal development, especially going back to school. Food, clothing and shelter are not addressed in this plan, but options for additional help in these 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/

Sponsorship plan

Immediate needs:
Health, food
Development:
Go to school. Learn how to sew
Dream:
Have a house become a doctor, help my family.