Who's Jenny?

Jennifer Elizer is a seventeen year old young lady who lives in Dufort, Haiti. She is soft-spoken and shy at first appearance, but once you get to know her, it pretty quickly becomes obvious she's got quite the personality just under the surface. She's got a great smile, and her laugh is infectious. Jenny is one of three half-sisters, all of whom live with their mom, Madam Michelle. Onella, her younger sister (9) is a ball of energy, and probably the wittiest kid I've ever met. Katia, her older sister (27) has a wicked sense of humor and is mother to the cutest little boy you'll ever meet, Prisco (2). All of the women live in a small home in a rural suburb of Dufort, near the larger city of Leogane, which was at the epicenter of the 2010 earthquake. They support themselves by trying to sell arts and crafts in front of the All Hands Volunteers base, which is where I work and live, and how I got to know the family. Every now and again they'll get a few purchases from some of our international volunteers, but most days go by without anyone buying anything.

Recent times have been difficult for them, as they have been for countless other millions of Haitians. Jenny's little brother, Junior, was killed in the earthquake. His school collapsed on him. He was ten. Judging from the pictures they've shown me of him, he looked to be a bright, happy little boy. The sisters do not have fathers - two of them are dead, one's a deadbeat. The family very much relies on one another to keep the wheels of their lives in motion, and, despite the loss of their son / brother, they still manage to find a way to push forward with positivity - no small accomplishment given the circumstances.

Jenny wants to be a nurse. At the moment, she's not on track to see that happen, through no fault of her own. As is often the case in Haiti, poor families cannot afford to invest in schooling for all of the children, so certain children can attend school, and others cannot. This often affects the older children, who, once they have completed basic levels of schooling (pre-high school), stop attending so the younger children can also get a basic level of education. At the moment, Onella, Jenny's little sister, is the only one in school, and it shows. Onella, although the youngest, has the firmest grasp on English, and is clearly whip-smart. Jenny supports her, both by helping her mom and older sister in making sure the home environment is maintained (cooking, cleaning, washing), and also by trying to bring in a little bit of cash working in front of the base at the arts and crafts stand. Jenny is also committed to seeing Onella succeed in school. Most days you can find Jenny and Onella, later in the afternoon once Onella's school is out, sitting in front of the base working on Onella's homework. On one occasion, Onella whispered to me that she needed my cell-phone, explaining she needed the calculator tool on it. I didn't clock why, but after Jenny saw her trying to short-cut her long division, she took the phone back and insisted Onella sit next to her and learn how to do it properly. Jenny, in many ways, has had to become a second mom to Onella.

Jenny dropped out of school last year, her sophomore year, because her mother could no longer afford to keep her enrolled. As much as I love Madam Michelle, I don't want Jenny to follow in her mother's footsteps - poor, illiterate and with very few options to improve her situation. Jenny is smart, and given the commitment I've seen from her in regards to Onella, I have no doubt that, given the opportunity, she will chase her dream. For that to happen, she needs to finish high school. The good news? She's only seven months behind. In Haiti, is is very normal for people to finish high school when they are 19, 20, 21. Jenny needs to repeat her sophomore year, putting her on track for high school graduation at 20. In short - she's not badly behind in any way, and she hasn't forgotten a lot of the schooling she will need to carry her through her three final years. The other good news? Jenny is officially re-enrolled in school for this year. With a generous donation by my friend Prakash Chandran, I was able to pay Jenny's outstanding school debts. She is cleared to return. That said, this year of schooling, including her uniforms and school supplies, need to be paid for, and the two coming years as well. Hence this project.

Helping Jenny is easy. Her schooling only costs a few hundred dollars a year. What many of us can blow in a weekend without realizing it (hello New York City!) can see Jenny through another year of high school. I encourage anyone out there interested in helping Jenny to give whatever you can. Everything helps. I am on the ground in Haiti until at least summer 2012 and will be managing any and all donations that come in for her. I have been in close discussion with her school director, and have been getting official copies of everything from school price lists to receipts to educational curriculum. All will be scanned into my computer and posted on this website to ensure transparency in this process. Watch the main blog page for updates.

Jenny has a lot to offer, she just needs a little help to get in the position where she can. Nurses have bright futures in Haiti. They are valued by the country's hospitals, and by the countless NGOs that work here. They can often make enough money to support themselves and their families. Giving Jenny this chance not only helps a wonderful young woman realize her dream, but the countless thousands she'll help over the course of her career. It is sorely needed in this beautiful, but incredibly broken country.

You in? Let's do this!