Roselaure

Roselaure was found on the street carrying water, by Georges, our Executive Director. He stopped to speak to her mother and grandmother and asked that she come to ACFFC. This was over a year ago. The fact that she is posed like this means a lot.

But if you look at her eyes, you maybe can see what we see, which is that she is a child who has been damaged, maybe even brutalized. It took a long while for her to play with the other kids. Georges would find clothing for her because she was often in tattered clothes and send her home with more. She is 9 years old and passed first grade after two tries. She always seems afraid, even when safe. The other girls her age sense this and protect her in a sense. That is good.

And this past month, she came and joined us at a dinner, hugged, sat on my lap (a first!). We need to work with her to help her let herself out and as we do, Georges has to keep at it with her mother and grandmother who don’t seem to accept the importance of her attending school. She does not pick up a paintbrush and we will work with her using art as a means to communicate, when she is ready. I am happy to see this photograph of her. First time she is looking at all free.”