Marquise


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he youngest of her family, Marquise has had to struggle to get what her older brothers got: an education. In Haiti, education is not free; it is one of Haitian families' biggest expenses. To send one child through high school, it takes someone making minimum wage three months. Compounding this is discrimination against women and girls; the majority of Haiti's families, with limited means, invest in boys' education. While her brother became an engineer, Marquise only received a grammar school education. Despite good grades, her family did not pay for the entrance exam so she could learn a trade. So she is working at a factory, struggling to make ends meet for her family. Undeterred, she is an active member of her church, community, and a worker's rights organizer. Speaking directly to people in the North, Marquise reminds us of our solidarity as human beings, and of our responsibility as consumers of goods made in the South.


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Solange Frisline Thérèse Hélène

All rights reserved, 2006.