Maureen lives with her siblings and their mother in a small rented two-room house with no electricity or indoor plumbing. Her father died from health issues when she was very young. Her mother sells bottled water and bananas on the side of the road where the buses, trucks, and cars pass by. Her immediate family tries to help pay for the children schooling but sometimes it isn’t enough.
Maureen is a very smart little girl who loves school and especially her science class. She is also very friendly and outgoing. Some of the chores that she helps her mother with are sweeping, washing the dishes and drawing water from the well. She loves playing netball with her friends. Rice is one of her favorite foods. She loves school so much she wants to become a teacher and work at Riverside.