The Love of a Mother

  We can not begin to comprehend how difficult it is to make the decision to relinquish 3 of your 4 children into the care of complete strangers.  How many nights to you pray to God asking for direction?  How many tears are shed?  How do you find the strength and courage to let go and carry on?    Here is what I can tell you about this incredible, strong, courageous, determined woman you see before you:

Her name is Dadane.  She was born May 16, 1986 in Jacamel. She is 25 years old.  She is unmarried and all of the chilldren were born from unknown fathers.  She has no information about any of the fathers.  Dadane has 4  children.  Besides Julner, Julena, and Vindy, there is a daughter Fanise who is 10 years old.  Dadane was placed with another family as a child to work.  We call these Restavek children(child slavery, still in existence today).  She is very fortunate that she knows her biological family, which is not the case with most Restavek situations.  She never went to school or learned how to read or write.  She left home and moved to Port-au -Prince looking for a better life when she was only 14 years old.  She became pregnant with 4 children all by different men.  Her daughter Fanise was born when Dadane was 15 years old.  Her father, sister, and brother are all living.  Her mother is deceased.  She is of Catholic religion, which is wonderful since the practice of Voodoo is thriving in Haiti.

   She had a small vending business and a home before the earthquake in 2010. Both were destroyed.  She lived in a tent city with the children until she was evicted from the tent city in May 2011.  She has had a difficult life.  She brought the children to the orphanage on May 12,2011--my 40th birthday.  The story of Dadane's determination and love to do what she knew was best for her children is documented at this link written by the orphanage director.

http://godslittlestangelsinhaiti.org/2011/05/new-siblings-come-to-live-at-toddler-house/

She reminds me of another woman I knew well in my lifetime who was stubborn and wouldn't take "no" for an answer, who always did what was best for her children-- My mom.