Hello All,
This update will be about some of the younger children at the Joan Rose Foundation who have been in the JRF community since infancy or birth.
Cedrik, Zina, Ashlin, Wisberlin
All four of these children’s parents moved from the Dominican Republic to Jacmel with us, and all four were infants when we arrived in Jacmel. Three of them have illiterate parents, only Wisberline’s mother made it to middle school. All four have been in school and the Foundation since they could walk and two have already received more schooling than their parents did during their entire lives and they are only 3 and 5. They will all be trilingual by the time they graduate high school and be part of the first generation of their family to go to college.
Zina is the daughter of our cook, Tania, and is her 6th child of seven. Tania asked Catherine and I to name Zina when she was born. She was born two months before we moved to Jacmel in 2015. Her father, Bwa, also came to Jacmel with us and is in charge of attaching the pieces of needlepoint stitching to leather. They recently had another daughter, Naomi, who is now six months old and who we also had the honor of naming. Tania never attended school, unlike her children who are all in school. Zina is three years old and is confident, playful, tough, independent and happy.
Cedrik, Zina, Ashlin, Wisberline
Ashline is five years old and she was two when we arrived in Jacmel. Ashline is the daughter of Angelina, and her father is not in the picture. Angelina has five children of whom Ashline is the youngest. Angelina never attended school. Angelina has brought two siblings to live with her so that they could work. One sister now has her own house and has brought her husband and children to the Foundation as well. Ashline is always laughing and playful, a bit wild, affectionate, smart and confident.
Cedrik is the son of Marielen, and is the third of three. His father came to Jacmel early on, but left and hasn’t been back. Marielen made it to 4th grade, but did not actually learn to read. She knows a few words but claims she has a “hard head.” Cedrik was just a few months old when we got to Jacmel. He is not as confident as the other three in the picture, but has a great vibe to him and is nice to hang out with. Everyday when he gets to the Foundation, he goes and sits in the “Breathing” corner of Catherine’s office. He is very sweet and his mother is also a very sweet and humble woman.
Cedrik, Zina, Ashlin, Wisberlin
Wisberline, or Ti Berline, has the most attitude of the group. She is super smart, very tough, strong willed, sassy and usually quite put together style wise. Her mother, Miliana, had some schooling and is literate. She was about 15 when she had Wisberline. She is still with the father and they have not yet had another child and don’t have plans to. Miliana is one of the best Good Threads stitchers as she is quite smart. She has been doing belts since shortly after she had Wisberline. Her father is one of the nine men that originally came with me to build the Foundation, and was with me and two other guys in the task of digging one of the latrines. It was all rock after a few feet that would break the pick axe handle, so we mostly used a chisel and sledge hammer. As a couple they make a great salary.
There are a lot more children who fall into this category, including Nelson, who couldnt walk or speak as of late 2015. These children and their siblings will have the opportunity to break a cycle of poverty they have been stuck in for generations and it would not be possible without the support of you, our donors. So again, thank you, together we are making a real difference in our peoples lives.
