Chantale lost both of her parents when she was a young girl living near Port-au-Prince. She then lived with her sister for several years before moving to Jeremie to live with her aunt in 2015. Today, she still lives with her aunt and cousins in Jeremie, and she is doing the best she can to create a better life for herself and her family in spite of the obstacles that she has faced. Determined to get a university education, she’s been teaching 1st grade at a local school in the mornings and taking college classes in the afternoons. She managed to make it through her first two years of college, but she didn’t have the means to continue until she entered the Thrive Ansanm program. Now, she knows that her education is covered, and she can focus her attention on her work and her studies.
Majoring in computer engineering, when she graduates she plans to pursue freelance work as a web designer if she is unable to find a salaried position in Haiti’s economy. As Haiti continues to advance technologically, she hopes there will be increasing demand for such services. A motivated young woman who cares about the future of her country, she says, “If tomorrow Lord willing Haiti should change, we will need professionals and intellectuals. Not just anyone can manage the country. It’s the young people who will step in. But the most important thing is, despite the current situation, we must believe, work hard, and study.”
