Summary

“I would like to have a bed to sleep. I don’t know how to read and write. My mother is dead and my father is far away. I don’t eat regularly. Sometimes I sleep with no food. Some other times, I eat bread with sugar water. I don’t have clothes, sandals, shoes and underwear.” Ricalande Matheus

Household

My name is Matheus Ricalande. I was born in 1994 in les Cayes. I am 14 years old. I stopped going to school in 2006. I was in 2nd grade at the time. I stopped going to school because my mother passed away and my father, having no means, sent me to live with my elder sister. Unfortunately, my elder sister could no longer afford to pay for my education.
My mother, Clanette died at the ago of 30. She was from les Cayes. She had 8 children. 5 of them are dead and only three of them are alive. The names are:
Guerline 25 years old.
Joel is 17 years old, and me. 

Living conditions

My father, Marditomme, is 40 years old.. He is from les Cayes. He is a farmer. He is used to growing corn, beans, and plantain. When it is harvest time. He sells shares with the other people who had helped working the soil. He can’t send me anything because he can’t find anybody to give food to deliver to me. I have been living in Cite Soleil, with my sister, for 5 years. Her name is Guerline. She has two children. Moise is 2 years old and Ephraim is 7 month old. She has a very little business. She sells melons, sometimes plantains. She goes to market place every day. She sells for 50 gourdes [$1.35 US] 100 gourdes a day. She can’t take care of herself, her two children, and me.
Job Opportunity
The house in which I am living is my sisters. It has only one room. There is not enough space for every day. I sleep on a carpet on the ground. The roof of the house leaks. Whenever it rains I can’t sleep. There is no place to put garbage and sewage. We throw garbage and sewage on a piece of land. We have a lot of problems with rats, mice, mosquitoes, and bugs. The rats bite me. They are even in my food. Bugs bite me when I sleep. There is electricity in my house. We pay 150 gourdes [$4.05 US] per month. When the power is out, we use candles. A candle costs 4 or 5 gourdes. When she does not have money to buy candles, she uses oil cotton to provide light.
Education
I used to attend school, but I stopped when I was in 2nd grade. I completed only five years of school. After I lost my mother, my father sent me to Cite Soleil to live with my sister. My sister does not have a big income, so she can’t afford to pay for my education. I don’t know how to read and write. In fact, I would really like to go back to school and graduate.
My sister and I, are not healthy at all. We have headache continually. People get this in the zone because the zone is dirty. People in the zone have fever, headache, and vaginal infection.
I don’t eat regularly. When my sister has a chance to cook, the food is never enough for us. Sometimes I sleep with no food. Sometimes a good neighbor shares his or her food with us. Some other times, I eat bread with sugar water.

Community information

The sister is speaking here: “There is a cistern in The Cite Soleil. The water in the zone is not safe to drink. There is not pure water in the zone but there is a private tank of water. It cost 7 gourdes [$19 cents US] for a bucket. It is not safe to drink but we buy it. The people can’t buy pure water because it is too expensive. A bucket of purified water cost 35 gourdes [$95 cents US] at the zone. However most people in the zone can’t buy it.
Education system and opportunities
There isn’t any school for adult in this area, and there isn’t a better school available here for children.  Action Chretien is one of the schools people frequently use for sending their children to school because it has two levels: one is for the poor and the other for someone who has possibility to pay. When someone comes to register him or herself, them pay regular payment. Poor people pay only $60 Ht per year [$8.57 US] and organization pay more sometime [People in Need pays $45 US].

Personal qualities and Dreams

I am capricious, shy, sensitive, kind and affectionate. I am honest, and sincere. I don’t like to be involved in things that don’t concern me. I like to share. I don’t like to be teased all the time. When I am hungry, I don’t like to play. My sister always says that I am obedient, and patient. I like to do housework such as the laundry and washing of dishes. I can be relied on. I am used to taking care of my sister’s babies. I would like anybody interested in helping me to know that I am living a bad situation. I would like him or her to know that I don’t have clothes, sandals, shoes and underwear. I would like him or her to help me out of this misery.
Dreams
The most important thing in my life is my education. I would like to become a beautician and teacher. I would like that my sister has a successful business. I believe that I can achieve my objective only if I go to school. So, I would like to go back to school and the same time, learn a profession. I would like to have my own beauty parlor. I would like to be able to go to hospitals when I am sick. I would like to have a bed to sleep, to have good clothes. I would like to be out of this misery.

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:
Food, education, clothes, sends them to hospital
Development:
Business for her sister, fix the house for them
Dreams:
Become a beautician, a teacher, have a good house live with her sister