Their House

Maria Franchesca Venturas

Maria Franchesca Venturas is 10 yrs old, she was born October 12, 2001.  She goes to school in the afternoons for 3 hours a day.  She is in the 1^st grade, and her health is good.

At age 6 her mother wasn’t able to care for her anymore, so she gave custody to her sister Belkys Vargas Rosario.

Belkys has 3 children of her own, a 13 yr old daughter, a 14 yr old son, a 19 yr old son, one daughter in law, and one grandaughter.  They own their house, so they do not pay rent. They all live with her husband in a small house right on the beach.  In normal circumstances this would be luxury.  As you can see by the photos the view from her window does look nice if you look straight ahead, if you look down, you see the garbage that is in the other photo.  Their home is surrounded by garbage.  The flies, insects, and smell are sometimes unbearable.  Belkys husband is a fisherman, and she stays home with the children.  Belkys signed our Dominicanada application hesitantly, she signed with an X.

When asked to describe Maria Franchesca, Belkys says she is kind and a happy child.  Maria Franchesca wants to be a musician when she grows up.