Filomena Cun Palax

Filomena and her grown son, Felipe, lives in a little shack with no water, stove, electricity, or toilet. Felipe has some developmental disabilities; he has never been able to speak, though he can understand and perform simple tasks. Polimena never had the money for a doctor to properly diagnose Felipe, much less get him treatment.  Despite the challenges Felipe faces, he is their sole breadwinner. He works cleaning onions, which is one of the lowest paid and least stable types of day labor.  


They have virtually nothing.  They have no beds, nor even much room on the floor of their small shed, so neighbors let them sleep on the floor of their store room.  Though their home is high in the hills of San Jorge and temperatures drop significantly at night, Polimena and Felipe have only two or three blankets between them. 

Polimena and Felipe's single-room home.

They must also rely on the kindness of neighbors for water--sometimes they are able to borrow water from the neighbor's tap, but the rest of the time Polimena, who can't remember her age but is certainly too old for physical labor, must carry water from the communal tank in the center of town up the long, steep hill to their house.  They do not have a water filter, so whether their water comes from the neighbors or the center of town, it is contaminated.

The open fire that they use to cook.

If you would like to help Polimena and Felipe, with a bed ($170 for double bed and mattress), a water filter ($50 for the filter and cartridges which will last up to 2 years), a fuel-efficient stove ($160), firewood, or, most basically, food, you can do so on the Donate Now page, by entering the amount of your donation in the 'Other' box, and "filter (or stove, bed, etc.) for A42" in the 'details' box.  Thank you!