At the age of two, Mimose’s mother and father died of illness. Ever since, she lived with her aunt in the city of Jeremie. She refers to her aunt as her mother, and her young cousin as brother, but even though she was only a toddler when her parents died, she remembers them well. Her father was from Belladair in southern Haiti and her mother from Jeremie.  Her aunt has always cared for her, and even though Mimose’s aunt does not work they always seem to find enough money to eat.

Now, at the young age of fifteen, Mimose gives the impression that she is a mature and responsible young adult. She has been studying at IDEJEN ESSAIS center in Jeremie for more than a year and is learning not only literacy and technical skills but also how to set goals for herself and make plans for her life.  She has a special relationship with her teachers at school and feels encouraged by them. She wants people to know that she is a good person; that she respects others; that she believes in God; and that nothing can take her values away from her.

She says that before she joined the center she would just stay at home and play with other children, but now she must prepare for school, arrive on time and do her homework. Her teacher at the center reports that she is hard-working and loves studying. At ESSAIS Mimose learns how to read, write and make fruit wines and natural syrups. “The syrups are made from special plants and leaves that can help people to stay healthy,â€? she eagerly explains.  

One day she wants to be able to make the wines and syrups by herself and sell them all over Haiti and in North America. Her big dream in life is to go to New York and she is determined to do whatever it takes to be able to travel. For Mimose, the journey to New York begins with the thirty-minute walk to the center each day where she continues to learn all that she can.