One of the many projects Sueños y Esperanzas has undertaken in the past year has been building homes for families in San Juan La Laguna. According to the Guatemala Housing Alliance, half of Guatemalans live in inadequate housing conditions, increasing their exposure to parasites, anemia, and other illnesses. Access to adequate housing is recognized as a universal human right, and here at the organization we believe that everyone deserves to feel safe and comfortable in their homes. With the help of generous donors from the United States, we were delighted to provide two families in our community with not only a new home, but also a new standard of life. Here are their stories:
The Yax Family
Lorenzo Yax was born in a small village in San Juan La Laguna. As a child, he did not attend school, but worked as a day laborer with his father in the countryside. His parents were not able to buy their own land because they only had enough money for food. One day, the municipality gave them a small piece of land in the colony of Sanjuanerita where they were able to build a small house, which had the basics and allowed them to live well. However, in 2005, a huge storm devastated the house and left it buried under water.
After a few months had passed, the municipality offered help to all of the families that were affected by the storm. They gave Lorenzo and his family a canvas house on the shores of the lake. They stayed there until a family arrived and offered to sell them land and a house that could be paid for in monthly installments. They excitedly accepted the offer and paid for the house little by little.
Everything was going well until the seasonal rain arrived. Once again, their house was flooded. When Lorenzo described this moment in his life, he wondered if bad luck may have followed his family. He began a job taking care of a property while his wife made textiles. They took out a loan and bought a small piece of land close to his in-laws. But when a family problem arose, they sold the land and left everything behind.
Lorenzo and his family then moved to the piece of land that they are still living on today. Lorenzo built a house with old metal sheets, but it provided insufficient living conditions. Whenever it rained, their floor and belongings would get drenched.
Today, the Yax family has a formal house that was built by volunteers from Sueños y Esperanzas. In the words of Lorenzo, “It was a gift for me. I never tire of seeing it and being grateful. Thank you to God and the volunteers who came to build and work here on my house. May God be with you and protect you always. I am very grateful to everyone.”
The Elizabeth Mendoza Family
Rosa Megui Elizabeth Mendoza is a 22-year old single mother to two sons. When she was a child, her father went to Guatemala city for a job and never returned to their house in San Juan La Laguna. For 10 years, her grandmother took care of Rosa and her siblings while her mother searched for her missing husband. While they took all possible measures to find her father, they never found him. The closest they came to finding answers occurred two years, when the Public Ministry said that they had found a body with a similar face. When speaking with Rosa’s grandmother, she expressed how deeply she missed Rosa’s father.
Today, the history of strong women in Rosa’s family continues. The father of Rosa’s children left for San Pedro to get remarried, abandoning his family and leaving her to take care of their children. She lives in San Juan La Laguna with her two children, Diego Nataneal and Abner Gael, who are 4 years old and 1 year and 11 months old respectively. She also shares the property with her grandmother Maria Chiyal de Rosales and her uncle Ricardo Rosales.
Rosa is currently working in an artisan association, but she has also begun studying in university after many previous attempts. She originally wanted to study computation, but could not afford to pay for a computer. She is now studying Productivity and Development. She mentioned that many people have doubted her decision to study as a mother of two children. However, she wants more opportunities for her and her family, and believes that education is the way to accomplish this.
Rosa described that her living conditions have been very difficult. She shared a kitchen with her uncle and grandmother and the land they inhabit is difficult to live on. Thanks to Sueños y Esperanzas, she now has a new house for her family, with 4 bedrooms, a kitchen, and a bathroom.
When we asked Rosa how she felt about her new home, she told us, “I feel happy and grateful to God for the opportunity to live in an easier situation.”
Thank you again to the volunteers and donors that made this project possible, and thank you to Rosa and Lorenzo for sharing their life stories with us.