Rice donations are distributed in the 5 structures of the Lakay project in Port-au-Prince and in that of Cap-Haïtien, which in turn is divided into two sectors. Each of these structures was created to meet the needs of the children and teenagers of the two cities, who live in situations of risk; in total, thanks to the 57 staff members, around 5700 minors benefit from this service.
René Wantoosly, 17, is one of the beneficiaries of the donations, for which he said he was very happy. René lives with his mother, who has mobility problems following a stroke, and with the two sisters, one of whom is a single mother and the other is expecting a baby. His father is dead.
"When my father died," René said, "life seemed impossible. I ended up in the streets and had to look for a way to take care of my mother and sisters. All I could do was beg, clean cars, load trucks ... All this just to survive. Then I managed to enter the 'Lakay Don Bosco' program. Here I can learn a trade and get three meals a day. Meals not only fill me up, but they give me energy and strength to study and play with my friends."
René wants to be a carpenter and make furniture. "Certainly, at the end of my training in Lakay," he added, "I will have the opportunity to work and provide for myself and my family."
"Despite the critical situation in which children live before they come to us and the social and economic challenges that Haiti has to face in general, we know that a plate of food fills the stomach, stimulates the body and opens hearts," explains Fr Joseph Roliné, Director of "Lakay Don Bosco".
"René is a model student and now, thanks to the donations of ‘Rise Against Hunger’, his health has improved and he can be more concentrated in the classroom," added Fr Roliné.
