Rita

Rita is our neighbors housekeeper. When they move in January, we will employee her so she won't lose her income. Rita and I are becoming good friends as she has begun to confide in me. Unfortunately her story is not unique in Angola, but I will tell it anyway. . .
 Rita is a 35-year-old widow who had 5 kids but two have died. Her parents are dead and all of her brothers are dead. One sister lives, whose 3 year-old daughter died this week. (She does have cousins that live.) Rita's kids are 16, 9, and 5 years old and she takes care of a 10-year-old who's mother died. When Rita's husband died, her in-laws turned their backs on her.
Rita is tired, she works very hard six days a week for only $200 a month, which is a standard paycheck in the city. Meanwhile, it is summer break here in Angola, and her kids just play in the streets while she works. I've taken pictures of the two room house that she rents for $20 a month. (it does not include a bathroom)

Front Door

She has a gas stove that was a gift from her employer, and no electricity, and no running water.

The fridge was also a gift from the boss, but acts simply as a cabinet.

This is her 5-year-old daughter, Belita

Rita's 9-year-old son sleeps on a foam pad on the floor.

Rita dreams, as many of us do, of owning a home. Her cousin actually gave her some land; and in the past year and a half she has saved enough money to lay the foundation. Her current house has no water, no batheroom, and no electricity.

I'd like put together a "Build Rita's House" project for Christmas. I don't think we should just throw money at people as a solution to the world, but in this case of a hard working widow with three kids plus one, I think the Lord called us to such a cause.

James 1:27

"Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world."

 Anyway, I'm collecting all the building details, so if there are any MOPS groups, community groups or churches that want to adopt Rita's family for Christmas please contact me and we can go further.

Here are pictures of the new building sight:

This is the neighborhood. Their is a plan to bring in running water in 2012.

Sisi, the 10-year-old living with them, And Belita, her daughter, we could find Rita's son for a picture, he plays in the streets until nightfall.

Building details, $1 per brick and $16 per bag of cement. I'm still looking into the cost of labor here, but her plans so far do not even include a bathroom. Since she will have running water, we are thinking we could put in a bathroom next to the kitchen.
If her story touches any of you, please contact me. We are hoping to bless her this Christmas with the money to complete her house. We have the benifit of being here to manage the money, that way we know it is being used the way it is intended.