Intro

"Health is always a problem. I feel anemia and stomach ache. We sleep on the ground. When it is raining I cannot sleep because the ground is wet. The first thing in my life is to go back to school. I would like to become a lawyer." Nacilia Breuce

Household

I was born on October 7, 1997 in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. I am twelve years old. My mother

Living conditions

WORK My mom sells peanuts to make a living. After that she is doing nothing else. She has no one to help her. She wants to do something else. Examples are that she would like to sell Coca Cola, cookies, and candies. She does not find someone to lend her money so she stays selling peanuts. I do not know the profession of my father because he is not living in the same house with me. It is so difficult for my mother to make a real living because she has no one either. SHELTER My mother lives in a house that she rents for $300 Ht [$42.85 US] every six months. It is only one room. It is small and there is not enough space in it. We sleep on the ground. It leaks a lot because the roof is no good. When it is raining I cannot sleep because the ground is wet. My mom puts some basins down to collect water from the roof. There is no safe space to put waste. I am serving in an isolated place to throw garbage, dirty water, and sewage away. Another problem is that many rats, mice, and mosquitoes cannot stop biting me. They give me malaria. Sometimes rats bite me on my hand. There is no public toilet. I always use an isolated place. There is power/electricity. My mother pays $30 Ht [$4.28 US] per month. It is not everyday that we have electricity. We spend three days without electricity. My mother uses candles. One candle costs one Ht dollar [14 cents US]. One candle is not enough per night. By the grace of some neighbors who give her money, she uses two candles per night when there is no electricity. Sometimes we go to sleep in the dark. HEALTH Health is always a problem. My mother is unhealthy. She is feeling fever, headache, and anemia. I feel anemia and stomachache. It is not easy for my mother to go to the hospital with me. She buys me some medicine in the store or in the street. FOOD It is the same thing for food. I cannot eat well. In the morning I have a cup of coffee with bread. Sometimes I have a corn potato with out sauce. I rarely drink juice. I have rice. I eat everything I find. Sometimes we have something when someone sends something for my mother. I go to sleep without nothing when she has nothing to give. EDUCATION I did go to school. I am not arriving far because my mother has no possibility to make me continue school. I do not know how to read and write well. I can only write my name. The first thing in my life is to go back to school.

Personal qualities and Dreams

I am a nice little girl. I am tolerant, sensible, capricious, and shy. I am also a person who is honest and playful. I love animals like puppies and cats. My favorite color is blue because it is the color of the sky. I love to give advice. I tell the truth. I appreciate my honest sincerity. I do not like it when people take my things. I love to watch television. I love to play with my little friends. I love to sing and dance. I like my shyness least in life. I get my feeling when I am dancing. The most important thing in my life is education. DREAMS I hope to continue going to school. I cannot. My mother has no money to push me. I would like to become a lawyer. I think I can realize my dream if I get back to school and study hard. I would like to let people everywhere know if they help me with studying I will be happy about it. It will be a great, wonderful thing for me and my family.

Summary

Immediate needs: Heath care, food, clothes Development: Education, lodging Dreams: I would like to become a lawyer.

Interview

Julien Junior conducted this interview, March 2, 2009