Jenika
When we first met Jenika, she was four years old and near death, barely surviving in a home for sick and dying children. Her father had died during the 2012 earthquake, and her mother had to be transported to the U.S. after losing a leg, leaving Jenika to live with an abusive Uncle.
Upon hearing how sick she was, her aunt retrieved her from that uncle and brought her to the center where we met her. She was treated there, but she was released too early, and relapsed in her illness. By working with a wonderful Haitian man, we were able to help Jenika stay with her loving aunt and a wonderful second uncle, get her the medicine that she so desperately needed, and provide money for food and water so that she could regain her strength.
She has now received three years of schooling, her aunt and uncle have been able to start a business, and Jenika has been reunited with her sister, whom she had not seen since the earthquake.
Samantha
Samantha, Jenika’s half-sister, is now seven years old. When we first heard of Samantha, she had already spent over five years as a restavek of her father’s cousin, where she had been treated as his slave and abused in horrific ways. After a year of covert assistance, we were finally able to help free her from her horrible situation. She is now reunited with her sister, and is living with Jenika’s aunt, uncle and two cousins in a loving home.