Evena lives with her father and her mother. Her father is sometimes employed as a farmer and her mother is sometimes employed as a farmer. Evena works at home carrying water, gathering firewood and buying or selling in the market. There are 5 children in the family.
Swimming, volleyball and singing are Evena's favorite activities. In high school her performance is average and she also regularly attends church activities, Bible class and choir.
Because of your sponsorship, Evena will have new opportunities to learn and grow physically, mentally, and spiritually. Thank you for your concern and prayers.
Evena lives in the mountainous community of Fontina, home to approximately 8,000 residents. Typical houses are constructed of cement floors, brick walls and corrugated tin roofs. The most commonly spoken language is Creole.
The regional diet consists of maize, beans, chicken, bread, rice and potatoes. Common health problems in this area include malaria, typhoid fever and coughs. Most adults in Fontina are unemployed but some work on plantations and earn the equivalent of $62 per month. This community needs schools, qualified teachers and employment opportunities.
Your sponsorship allows the staff of Fontina Child Development Center to provide Evena with Bible teaching, medical exams, hygiene instruction, recreational activities, academic support and scholastic materials. The center staff will also provide meetings and educational workshops for the parents or guardians of Evena.
Haiti occupies the western third of the island of Hispaniola in the Caribbean. A mix of mountains, valleys, lakes, seashores and rivers gives Haiti varied weather conditions. About two-thirds of the terrain is unsuitable for farming.
Haiti is one of the most densely populated and poorest countries in the world. Most Haitians are subsistence farmers who cultivate small plots of land around their mud-and-thatch homes. Most speak Creole, but their official language is French. Catholicism is the major religion, but Voodoo, practiced by roughly half the population, was recognized as an official religion in 2003. Compassion works in nearly every region of the country.
In 1492, Columbus discovered Hispaniola and the island became the center of Spanish rule in the West Indies. The indigenous people were quickly wiped out and slaves were brought from Africa to populate the island. In 1697, Spain ceded half the island to France and this became Haiti. In 1804, a former slave led a revolt and Haiti gained its independence. Forty years later, the eastern part of the island split off to form the Dominican Republic.
Haiti historically has been plagued by political violence. In 1990, Haiti installed its first democratically elected president, Jean-Bertrand Aristide, an ordained Catholic priest. But he was ousted in a bloody military coup and forced to seek asylum in the United States. In 1994 Aristide returned from exile and abolished military rule. He won a second term as president in 2000, but was ousted in 2004 amid allegations of corruption. The current president is René Garcia Préval, elected in May 2006.
Map of Haiti
Child's Location: Southwest of Anse-a-Galets
