Meet Jessica Maribel!

As promised, here is the introductory post for Jessica. After sponsoring Omar, I realized that I might as well ask CI if they had any older girls who fit the same criteria as Omar: nearing graduation, difficult for them to find a new sponsor because of their ages. I just didn't want these kids to be wondering, "Will I ever find another sponsor?" I wanted them to know that someone far away cares about them very much!
So, the CI rep shared with me the information about Jessica, and I added her to my account on the spot! Jessica Maribel M. O. is 17 years old. Her birthday is April 5th, 1993. She stands 5'1" tall and weighs 107 lbs. She lives in Guayaquil, Ecuador, with her father and four siblings. Her mother, Lorena, has abandoned the family. Jessica has one older brother, Carlos, who is 18. Her other siblings are all younger: Johnny, 13; Steven, 10, and little Ruth, who is just 2. Jessica's father, Adolfo, is a street vendor who makes about $150 a month.
The family lives in a home consisting of two multi-use rooms. The floor is concrete, the walls are brick, and the roof is corrugated metal. Jessica sleeps on the floor with a mattress. Cooking is done on a portable gas stove, and water is delivered by truck in a barrel. There is a septic tank for sanitation, and electricity use is regulated.
As for Jessica herself, she loves to play soccer. She also likes to sing, dance, and draw. At school, her favorite subjects are grammar and science. At home her chores are cooking and general housework. I'm sure with no mom around, and the only other sister just a toddler, Jessica has taken on a "mom" role with her younger siblings.
As you can see, Jessica has a beautiful smile! After looking at her past photos, I saw that in many of them, she looks SO sad. From the age of about 10 until about 14, she looks just miserable in every photograph. It just about breaks my heart. BUT I am very happy to say that in her two most recent photos, Jessica has a huge smile again!