A Sad Family Update

I knew Yulliana's Family/Child Report was due any day, so I have been dilligently checking before bed each night to see if it was posted. Last night, it appeared. She's grown two inches and gained seven pounds. Her favorite subject changed from Languages to Mathematics (which matches what she wrote to me in one of her letters). The family seems to have moved--their house used to be concrete walls and floor with a wooden roof. Now, they have corrugated metal walls and roofing with a concrete block floor. Fortunately, they still have running water, electricity and a toilet.

I suspect the reason behind the change in their home is that her father Edgar, who had previously been listed as a Driver, is now Deceased.

I think his passing must be very recent. Her last letter, which was written just before Valentine's Day, included a drawing at the bottom with a man, a woman, and four girls. She labeled the drawing "My Family."

Yulliana is the third of my girls over the years to lose her father. The previous two, Joan and Hazel, each left the program within a year of their fathers' passing.

Yulliana's mother Argentina is now left to support four very young daughters (Yulli is the oldest at 8. Her sisters are 7, 5 and 3) on her own. She's a street vendor. Interestingly, the family's monthly income didn't change, holding steady at $190.

I'm sending an immediate SNG to help the family out, and I intend to inquire about her father's passing and whether there are any other adults residing in the household to help Argentina either with additional income or taking care of the young girls. I hope the poor woman has some help!