Anne Rose, her husband, and 3 of her 4 children. Her oldest daughter was at school when we visited.

Anne Rose Serafin Sireus is married with four children, two girls ages 6 and 14 and two boys ages 5 and 12.

Anne Rose’s husband, a working man with a great deal of common sense, is a fisherman. He spoke eloquently about the challenges faced by those who fish for a living in the area. His biggest complaint is that the government does not protect the mangrove swamps, so they are being destroyed. Many fishermen fish with nets that catch large numbers of small fish. They should set the small ones free. If they did that, those small fish would serve as bait to attract larger fish. Instead, because there are no laws against eating the small fish, fishermen keep whatever they catch, leaving less “bait” to attract larger fish to the area. Desperate to feed their families, fishermen keep smaller and smaller fish and the decline continues.

	Handing Anne Rose the keys to her new home, along with a bible.

“They are eating their future! This should stop!” I could hear the conviction in his voice as Anne Rose’s husband explained the challenge. We have heard a number of fishermen complain that the fishing is no longer good, but this was the first time anyone offered any insights into what might be happening. It is useful information as Food for the Poor considers the types of sustainment projects that might work in the Village of Joy.

Anne Rose also helps support her family by preparing and selling some of the fish. Two years ago, Kate, Food for the Poor’s Director of Projects for Haiti, and Vincent, Food for the Poor’s Engineer for the project, purchased lunch from her makeshift stand at a nearby beach on a beautiful lagoon. Anne Rose’s youngest child (then 3) bravely approached Kate—a foreigner—with a demand. “Give my mom a house!!” he insisted loudly. Kate was blown away by both his courage and his confidence.

When we gave Anne Rose the keys to her new home, Kate was elated. She reminded Anne Rose of that beach-side encounter and said, “God answer prayers.” “Thank you a lot,” Anne Rose responded. “Our old house was made of mud and sticks. When it rained, the water came into the house. During the terrible rains of 2016, our house was washed away.” The “terrible rains of 2016” refers to period where it rained for 40 days when Hurricane Matthew blew through Haiti last October. “Now we will be safe from the rain,” Anne Rose said, taking a deep breath and exhaling in relief.

Thank you for your continued support for the Village of Joy. Because of you, Anne Rose’s family has hope for a better future.

Paula Mueller

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