Their House

Marlenyz Martinez Polanco

The Martinez Polanco family have 3 children.  They are very close, and take extra good care of each other.

Genesis Valentina is 7 yrs old.  She was born 14 Feb 2003.  She in 1st grade, and goes to school 3 hours in the afternoons.

Marlenyz is 10 yrs old.  She was born 13 Oct 1999. She is in 1^st grade and goes to school 3 hours in the afternoons.

Roni is 9 yrs old.  He was born 25 Apr 01.  He is in 1^st grade, and goes to school 3 hours in the afternoons.

The family live in one of the worst houses that I came across.  They have one bedroom, and only one bed, for 2 adults and 3 kids to sleep in.  The bed sits on cement blocks.  If it’s too hot, Roni sleeps on the floor with a blanket under him.  There are no pillows in the house.  The bedroom wall is made out of cardboard.

There is a TV, stereo, and boom box in the house, but they do no work.  They were picked out of the garbage.  They are just for show.

The bathroom (outhouse) is outside, and shared by 3 other families.  It is made of small pieces of plywood.  There is no shower or running water.  The water supply is kept in a blue barrel in the kitchen. 

They pay 1200 RD ($33.00 US) monthly for rent.