Meeting Abina Etienne on the porch of her new home.

Abina Etienne’s housing situation was similar to most of her neighbors living in the Village of Joy. Her family had lived in a house made from mud and sticks. It’s not difficult to understand why. She and her husband have seven children—three boys and four girls ranging in age from nine to twenty. Abina stays home with their children. Her husband makes and sells charcoal. He barely makes enough to feed and clothe his large family and pay school fees for his five school-aged children. A safe, dry house—even a small one the size of a typical two-car garage in the U.S.—is a luxury item for a family like theirs.

We didn’t get to meet Abina’s family—her children were at school and her husband was working. Nonetheless, I enjoyed speaking with Abina, the matriarch and proud owner of the home (FFP always titles the house in the name of the matriarch). Abina eagerly shared her assessment of their old house. “It was very bad. The children did not want to let their friends see how they lived. It was too terrible. They were so ashamed. Thank you a lot, a lot, a lot!” Without missing a beat, she continued, “There is no way we are ashamed any more. We are so proud of our house. We will ask everyone to come and visit our house. God is good!”

While I am excited that the Etienne family now has a safe, dry place to live, I know that is not enough. To succeed in helping them escape extreme poverty, we also need to help them generate a more sufficient income stream. That is the next step, after the remaining seven families receive their new homes, but we need your help to finish the work. Please consider participating in this hope giving effort.

Paula Mueller

Click here to Help 40 Families Escape Extreme Poverty.

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