Birthday: November 12, 2003 Sponsorship #: 2017-00-175J

Christella is a beautiful young lady with a story of courage and faith. She recently moved in with her aunt on the Hill at Hope Center. Her aunt’s name is Gina and they recently found one another under difficult circumstances. Christella was born in a coastal town called Jacmel. She lived there with her mother until she was 10 when her mother died. After her mother died, she went to live with her father in the city of Leoganne. She didn’t know her father very well because she had never even met him before she went to live with him. Her mother had told her about him when she found out that she was very sick and was going to die. She told Christella that if she were to die, she needed to go to Leoganne and find her father. She gave her a paper to give to him to prove who she was. So after Christella’s mother died, at the age of 10, Christella found a way to go to Leoganne in search of her father. She found him and lived with him for almost three years until he became very sick and died as well. So at 12 years old, Christella was an orphan and didn’t know where to turn. Some neighbors took her in to live with them, but she soon found herself living as a restavek in their home. A restavek is pretty much a slave. She would clean their house, cook their food, wash all the dishes, do all sorts of labor, but they would not help her go to school. She earned her keep by working for the family. They were very mean to her and made her feel worthless and afraid. After living with them for over a year, Christella decided she would run away. She had heard that she had family in Delmas, so she decided to go there first in search of any family willing to help her. She asked many people in Delmas if they knew her aunt named Gina Pierre. She finally found someone who knew Gina and they explained that Gina was now living in Galette Chambon. The person allowed her to use their phone to call Gina and explain her situation. Gina was immediately moved to tears to know that this child had been through so much and was now seeking her out for help. Gina immediately went to Delmas to get Christella to take her HOME. Christella is now living on the Hill at Hope Center with Gina and her daughter. Christella loves to help out around the house and she loves to go to church. She is so excited about the possibility of finally being able to go to school. She has no idea yet what she wants to be when she grows up, but she thinks that maybe she will become a singer because God has given her a voice and she loves to use it. For now, though, all she wants is to go to school.