Meriane Cadat is a bright eighteen year old girl who is hopeful about her future. She studies sewing at IDEJEN AJEBJER center in Jérémie and aspires to be a great tailor and designer.

Meriane lives with her grandmother and five of her brothers and sisters in the city of Jeremie where she was born. She has a total of ten siblings, some of whom are children of her mother and some of whom are from her father. Meriane was eight years old when her mother died of tension (heart and chest problems), and she went to live at her grandmother’s house. She has never known her father and her grandfather died some years ago. Meriane adores her grandmother and appreciates her hard work to care for the family very much. Her grandmother sells marinade (fried dough often eaten as a snack) on the street and earns enough money for the family to get by, but unfortunately not enough to enroll all six of the children in school. When her grandmother leaves every morning to sell marinade, Meriane is responsible for taking care of the house and children and preparing food. She has never worked outside of the home and always hoped for an opportunity to learn a profession that can help her to support her brothers and sisters.

While sitting out in front of her house one day a youth mapper passed by and invited her to AJEBJER center for a special gathering they were having. When Meriane arrived she met Madame Previlon, the IDEJEN Field Project Coordinator in Port-au-Prince. She recounts: “Madame Previlon was a beautiful woman, all dressed up, who told us about all the things that we could do if we came to the center. I liked what she said and I want to be like her- able to go all around Haiti in nice clothes, and that is why I decided to come to the center.�

Inspired by Madame Previlon and welcomed by the center’s coordinator and teachers, Meriane joined the program. Only a few months later, Meriane was able to sew skirts and blouses by herself, and she has learned to write and is beginning to read. She has more hope for her life and is encouraged by her grandmother, brothers and sisters who are happy and proud of her. She looks forward to studying for another six months so that she can learn to make pants and men’s shirts. Then Meriane plans to get a job working for someone until she has enough money to open a tailor shop with her friends.

“A lot of people need our profession�, she says, “I will work hard so that I never return to the same place again.�