Talking with Fava

After we got back from visiting the babies at the hospital, we interviewed Fava, the thirteen-year-old daughter of the house manager. On mornings when she has school, Fava wakes up at six in the morning, eats bread with peanut butter for breakfast, and bikes forty-five kilometers to the school she attends in the nearby town of Verettes. She is in seventh grade. In Haitian schools, the main language used is French. Fava also is learning English and Spanish (as well as Math and Science). She does not return home for lunch break, but eats two meals each day. Fava helps her mother cook for the house too. She likes to sing, and sometimes sees movies in Deschapelles. She likes to listen to rap music. She wants to be an author when she grows up. We asked her if she knew why people reacted like they did when they saw us (see Erin's post on "Blanc"), and she said they thought we were "interesting." Fava buys all of her clothes in the market and is very stylish. Fava says it is normal for girls to begin to date when they are twenty. It was really great to talk to Fava because she is exactly our age, and by talking to her we gained more insight into the lives of Haitian girls.

Orevwa,

Lily