Joel Fernandez

Country: Dominican Republic

My birthday is 2006-03-31

Status: Vulnerable Child

I want to be an engineer.

I enjoy playing baseball.

My favorite subject is Language Arts.

Joel lives in Batey Lecheria in the Dominican Republic. Batey is the Haitian word for village. The older generations in Batey Lechera are Haitian. Life for Haitians in the Dominican is difficult. Joel lives with his mother and three siblings. His mother works on a cherry plantation. She also washes and irons clothes for additional income. Her income is simply not enough to provide for the basic needs of her family. Joel's dad abandoned the family when he was just six years old. His dad remains in the village but will not acknowledge or provide for the family. Joel has sickle-cell anemia and the medial treatment necessary for his condition puts an additional financial strain on his family. Joel's brother, Franklin, is in charge of caring for the family while Joel's mother is at work. Joel attends public school, and his favorite subject is language arts. In his free time, Joel enjoys playing baseball. He would like to become an engineer in the future.