Peter is a boy
who became part of our Coram Deo family in July 2013. We were stopped at a
stoplight on Airport Rd. and he approached us begging for money. We started a
conversation with him while waiting for the light ...to change. He
had burns on his face. When we asked him what happened he said that other street
children burned his face with the drippings of a burning plastic coke bottle
while he was sleeping. It was punishment for giving away a bag of water to a man
who said he was thirsty. My heart was touched and we decided to bring him to the
house until a placement could be found with a mission that helps street
children. At the house we talked with him more about what led to him to living
on the streets of Port-au-Prince.
He was born in the north part of the country, in Cap Haitien. He lived with his parents and 2 brothers. His parents didn't get along and his mother left the family to live in the Dominican Republic. His father developed an infection in his leg that went untreated. Soon he developed gangrene and his leg was amputated at the state hospital. He died soon after. Peter's aunt took in the children and looked after his younger brothers well but ignored Peter. The others went to school and he didn't. When he had a cut on his arm and asked to get medical treatment his aunt pushed him outside and closed the door. He then decided to leave his aunt's family and started to hang around with other street children. He spent some time in Ouanaminthe, and Cap Haitien living on the streets and then decided to go to Port-au-Prince. He hopped on a bus and went to Port-au-Prince.
He lived 2 months on the streets here before we found him. He hadn't toughened to the streets yet and we were happy to find him before things got worse for him. Peter was illiterate and had never gone to school. We started to to teach him the alphabet during the summer and he is now a part of our school program. He now knows how to write his name and is no longer illiterate He also doesn't know his birthdate. All he knew was that he was 12 years old and that he was born sometime in December. We decided to make his birthdate as December 15th. Yesterday, we celebrated his 13th birthday with cake and ice cream. He has settled into our Coram Deo family and no longer wants to live on the streets. We asked him what he would like to do when he gets older, and he said that he wants to help the children who live on the street. Peter has a caring heart. Pray for him so that one day he may be able to help the other street children.
He was born in the north part of the country, in Cap Haitien. He lived with his parents and 2 brothers. His parents didn't get along and his mother left the family to live in the Dominican Republic. His father developed an infection in his leg that went untreated. Soon he developed gangrene and his leg was amputated at the state hospital. He died soon after. Peter's aunt took in the children and looked after his younger brothers well but ignored Peter. The others went to school and he didn't. When he had a cut on his arm and asked to get medical treatment his aunt pushed him outside and closed the door. He then decided to leave his aunt's family and started to hang around with other street children. He spent some time in Ouanaminthe, and Cap Haitien living on the streets and then decided to go to Port-au-Prince. He hopped on a bus and went to Port-au-Prince.
He lived 2 months on the streets here before we found him. He hadn't toughened to the streets yet and we were happy to find him before things got worse for him. Peter was illiterate and had never gone to school. We started to to teach him the alphabet during the summer and he is now a part of our school program. He now knows how to write his name and is no longer illiterate He also doesn't know his birthdate. All he knew was that he was 12 years old and that he was born sometime in December. We decided to make his birthdate as December 15th. Yesterday, we celebrated his 13th birthday with cake and ice cream. He has settled into our Coram Deo family and no longer wants to live on the streets. We asked him what he would like to do when he gets older, and he said that he wants to help the children who live on the street. Peter has a caring heart. Pray for him so that one day he may be able to help the other street children.
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