We want you to get to know the children and young people with whom we work in our community in Jacmel. Today, we introduce to you Fabiola and Jelemson. They are sister and brother. Fabiola is 11 years old and repeating the 3rd grade. Her brother, Jelemson, is 7 years old and is repeating the first grade. Linda, their mother, is a single mom; their father does not keep in touch with them and does not support them. This same man has fathered two other children with another woman in our neighborhood. Linda tries to find work by cleaning and washing clothes wherever she can to make a few dollars to feed her children.

Linda came to us a few months ago in great need. She could not pay the rent for the small space in which she lives. This family would have had nothing and no place to go. Linda borrowed the money and worked very hard to pay it back so she could keep the one small space for them to live. In the same way she works very hard to pay for them to go to school. We helped by buying their books for school. Every day Fabiola and Jelemson come to our Manman Angela Kitchen for dinner. After eating, they do their homework with one of our older teens who is helping them. We created a space for study since most of our kids do not have electricity every day.

Linda is Catholic and wants her children to be baptized. Fabiola is being prepared in our catechesis program for Baptism.

Today we visited Linda in her home because she was sick and needed some medication. We learned that six people live in her small space. Linda, her three brothers, and her two children share one large bed and one small bed. This shows us that Linda works hard not only for her children but for her brothers as well. Sadly, this is not an unusual situation.

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