Meeting Mirline Antenor and her family.

Mirline Antenor lives with her husband and two boys. Mirline’s husband is an agriculture technician, specializing in seeds and plants. Both of Mirline's boys attend school. Her eleven year old wants to become a doctor. Her twelve year old wants to become an agriculturalist, like his dad. I told them, "Study hard. An education is very important." Kate, Food for the Poor’s Director of Projects for Haiti, translated for me. When he heard the translated message, Mirline’s husband looked at his sons and told Kate, “I am glad Paula told them how important school and studying are. It is the future.”

I was very impressed by the Antenor’s. They were different from quite a few of their neighbors, whose daily struggles have worn them down and, in some cases, caused them to lose hope. By contrast, the Antenor’s seemed to exude hope beyond the reality of their present condition, and they had taken the initiative to begin to create the new reality they hope for.

	Posing with Mirline Antenor and her family.

The Antenor’s house was surrounded by a tall wire fence the family erected. Grass was growing in the tiny front yard. There was a small garden with plants for food in the backyard. Kate told the family the garden was wonderful. "Did you plant it?" she asked Mirline’s husband. He shook his head no, smiled widely, and pointed to his oldest son. He was clearly proud of his son, and his son appreciated the attention he received.

Speaking of their new home, Mirline’s husband told us, "We also pray that God will give you the strength to do more here for those who have no houses. We love it when it rains now! We don't get wet, but there are so many who are still getting wet. Thank you for the really big thing you did!"

Please consider a small donation to help us fund the second half of the project and provide homes to those who are still waiting.

Paula Mueller

Help 40 Families Escape Extreme Poverty