Meeting Jean Daryse, a future recipient, and her family.

In addition to meeting with each of the families that had received homes, we were taken to the home of a future beneficiary. We wanted to see the family’s living conditions firsthand. The house—if you can call it that—is home to a family of nine. The future beneficiary—Jean Daryse Almark—and her husband have seven children ranging in age from six to fifteen. Some of the children attend school, but Jean Daryse’s husband, a fisherman, does not make enough money to send them all.

	Daylight shines through where the mud has washed away, exposing the sticks that frame Jean Daryse's home. There is no way to keep out pests like rodents and mosquitos.
	One of the beds shared by family members. Above the bed is a tarp, which is placed over the bed when it rains in an attempt to keep the bedding dry.
	Jean Daryse cooking a pot of soupy beans for her family. I cannot see how that pot of beans is supposed to feed nine people.

The "house" is made of sticks and mud and has three small rooms. Daylight shines into each room through sticks where the mud has washed away. There is no way to keep critters or the rain out. When it rains, the Almark family covers the beds with tarps to protect them from the elements. Then, since it is too wet and muddy to sit down, they stand in the house until the rain stops. There is a single bedroom with two beds. Jean Daryse and her husband sleep on one bed and a number of their children share the other. In the "kitchen", a small pot of soupy beans simmers over a charcoal stove. It does not appear to contain enough beans to feed even half of the family. There is an additional mattress in the room, allowing the kitchen to sleep a couple more children. Though sparsely furnished, the third room serves as the living room. The home looks worse on the inside than it does from the outside.

After touring the house, I was at a complete loss for words. I wouldn’t want to live one day in that house. It is a joyful occasion to speak with families who have received homes. It is difficult speaking with a family that is still waiting. I told the family to continue praying. “God will provide,” I assured them. I had no other words of encouragement to offer.

Please donate today to provide Jean Daryse and her family hope for a better future.

Paula Mueller

Help 40 Families Escape Extreme Poverty

All donations are tax-deductible, and 100% of all money donated goes directly to the Village of Joy project.