Her desire is to receive even a plate of food every day

Her name is Mascimina Morillo Reyes and she is 80 years old. She does not eat every day, washes clothes by hand, and loads buckets of water from the street to her little house without help.

Mascimina’s sad daily life has not erased the beautiful smile that sprouts on her face like a flower when she talks about herself.

She is proud to be able to do housework without the help of anyone. The only moment when suffering is heavy is when she mentions her six children because they have forgotten her and left her behind.

Each of Mascimina’s days is similar, the only thing that differentiates one from another is whether or not she eats. She does not leave her home, which was built with wood and cardboard and has a zinc roof with small holes through which raindrops enter when it rains. Despite her age, of not having contact with her family, of not having a bathroom inside the house or a washing machine or a refrigerator, Mascimina’s hope does not fade.

Her history: Two months ago, the Daily Listin had toured El Kilombo in El Café de Herrera to report on the floods that occur there when it rains. This time, Mascimina was removing water from her house with a bucket. A few days ago a team of this medium passed through the place and saw her cooking on a “stove” placed in the front of her house.

She was happily preparing some green bananas with stewed chicken thanks to a man who had given her RD $ 200 the day before.

That dish would be lunch and dinner that Friday. However, Mascimina was detached and without thinking about what she would eat the next day, she happily offered the newspaper team a plate of food.

“I stay as God helps me. I have days that I cook and I have two and three days that nothing appears. Sometimes the same neighbor does something and passes it to me.

I sit there in that yard and wash all my clothes by hand.

“I do everything,” are the words with which Mascimina defines her life.

On hold

Mascimina arrived in Santo Domingo three years ago from San Juan de la Maguana.

Her husband passed away and her children sold the house and the land they had.

Mascimina’s eyes light up when she mentions politicians, she believes that with her help she can at least eat a plate of food every day.

A promise  that doesn’t come

Delusion

Paradoxically, in Mascimina’s house, there is a flag of a political party that a candidate placed. While she has not eaten for days, she continues to live in poverty with the faith that they will help her.