Macdalinia was a little girl with big dreams. From a young age, she would wake up every day and watch other children in the neighborhood run off to school while she had to stay home with her mother to sell fruit at the market. In her small village in Haiti, education was a luxury her family could not afford—but she did not let this stop her.
Macdalinia decided that if she could not go to school, she would begin learning on her own. After finishing work with her mother every day, Macdalinia would try to teach herself how to read. Sitting with her brother’s old notebook, she would trace the letters on the page and repeat words she heard regularly—all the while, holding onto her dream to go to school.
One day it seemed like Macdalinia’s dream came true. Her uncle brought her to live with him so she could attend school, but the situation did not prove fruitful for Macdalinia’s education. After two years of limited success, Macdalinia came back to her hometown village to live with her parents again. However, upon her return, there was a new opportunity for Macdalinia— an opportunity that could finally fulfill her dream.
One More Child and our ministry partners in Haiti established child sponsorship opportunities for families in this area. Our staff and partners worked diligently to get Macdalinia established as a sponsored child, so she could receive food and meals, clean water, medical care, and, to Macdalinia’s great joy, education.
With the new opportunity to attend school granted to her through child sponsorship, Macdalinia was determined to excel. She listened intently, asked questions, and worked hard to learn as much as she could. Her teacher saw her desire for learn, and paired her with aides to help her catch up with the other students. Now Macdalinia is one of the best students in her school.
Macdalinia has experienced the joy of education, and she wants to pass along that joy to others. She shared with her class one day, “When I grow up, I want to help other children like me achieve their dreams.”
Macdalinia’s dream came true, but it didn’t happen by chance or magic—it happened because of generous individuals who decided to sponsor a child, compassionate ministry workers who worked to meet needs of vulnerable children in Haiti, and God’s faithfulness to enact justice and provide. Every morning Macdalinia puts on her school uniform with a big smile and she remembers that, with compassion, generosity, and determination, dreams can come true.
We are dedicated to empowering and equipping Macdalinia so that one day she can help children, who were just like her, achieve their dreams too.