Daughter & Mother/Haiti

Independent Films, Women, Web Series, Teens

After the January earthquake in Haiti, 14-year-old Christine was living in a camp near the airport in Port-au-Prince, where she was sharing a small tent with her mother, brother and sister, having to catch a series of taxis in order to get to school.
Their home had been destroyed in the earthquake, along with most of their belongings, and Christine’s mother only had enough money to send one of her children to school. She chose Christine.
As the anniversary of the earthquake approaches, Christine's mother is now earning enough money selling second-hand sneakers to pay the school fees for all three children.
When asked about what is not going well, Christine says that life in the camp is difficult. The tent, during the day, is sweltering. And when it rains, water pours inside. The camps are crowded, and she must spend part of each day fetching water.
Despite the hardships, Christine remains determined and optimistic and cites her mother as a source of strength.

Transcripts / Production notes / Scripts

After the January 2010 earthquake, 14-year-old Christine was living in a camp near the airport in Port-au-Prince, where she was sharing a small tent with her mother, brother and sister, having to catch a series of taxis in order to get to school.

Their home had been destroyed in the earthquake, along with most of their belongings, and Christine’s mother only had enough money to send one of her children to school. She chose Christine.

As the anniversary of the earthquake approached, we caught up with Christine to see how she’s doing. The good news: her mother is now earning enough money selling second-hand sneakers to pay the school fees for all three children.

SOUNDBITE (Creole) Christine, 14 Year-old Girl:
”I see that my brother and my sister are absolutely passionate about going to school. They love their school. My little sister wakes up early and washes herself every day, and gets ready for school. It makes me very happy that they are as passionate as I am about school.”

When asked about what is not going well, Christine tells us that life in the camp is difficult. The tent, during the day, is sweltering. And when it rains, water pours inside. The camps are crowded, and Christine must spend part of each day fetching water.

Despite the hardships, Christine remains determined and optimistic. She’s been writing an essay about her struggles, and her belief in education as a way to empower the children of Haiti.

SOUNDBITE (Creole) Christine, 14 Year-old Girl:
”After the earthquake, my big fear was that there would no longer be school. But I kept studying, because I’ve always believed that education is the key to my life. I love school a lot. Without school, I can’t do anything. Without education, man cannot retain his dignity.”

Christine cites her mother as a source of strength. In the essay, she quotes her mother. Always be strong, she says, even if life dishes you the worst. Do not be afraid.

Tags

• haiti
• Children
• Mothers
• survival
• UN
• UNICEF

Directors:

• Tom Osborne, UNTV

Producers:

• Muhamed Sacirbey