«My new stove works so well–it cooks my tortillas fast and they turn out well!», Carolina Simalaj explains. «My old stove burned food, used much more wood, and created a lot of smoke. The smoke bothered my eyes while I was cooking.»

Carolina lives with her husband Isaias and their three sons: 5 year old Peter, 3 year old Christian, and 1 year old Ivan in Sololá. They are Healthy Home Kit beneficiaries and in addition to a new smokeless stove, they also now have a sanitary latrine and a water filter.

The family is also very happy to have a water filter. 95% of water in Guatemala is contaminated which leads to a variety of parasites and illnesses. «Before we had a water filter our stomachs hurt often,» Carolina says. With a water filter, this is no longer an issue and Carolina is happy that her boys no longer have to experience stomach pain as a result of drinking contaminated water.

Christian, age 3, and Peter, age 5, with their new sanitary latrine.

«The new latrine is much more comfortable; it’s clean and healthy.», continues Carolina. The old latrine, shown below, was made of sugar cane stalk and various cloth materials. Now, the family has a stable structure made from wood and metal that provides protection from the elements. This is especially important during Guatemala’s rainy season, during which it rains heavily for several hours a day.

Carolina also wants to thank the volunteers who supported her family by volunteering to build the latrine and stove. «Thank you for your support!» she concludes.

Alejandra Solis and her family are happy to be living in their new Habitat Guatemala home in Tecpán. Before building their home, she and her husband, who works for a local business, lived with her mother. Alejandra and Elvis have three children so they wanted more space for their family. “I learned about Habitat Guatemala on Facebook,” Alejandra explains. “We were living with my mother, but wanted our own house. My father gave me the land and so we decided we were ready.”

And, with Habitat Guatemala, Alejandra and her family now have their own home. Alejandra’s relatives live across the street and her children David, Dillon, and Ami love running back and forth between the two houses and playing games with their cousins.

“We moved in at the end of February.”, Alejandra continues. “Moving was difficult, but we are so happy to be living here now. It’s much more comfortable.” The family is already making the house a home; a painting by 11 year old David decorates the kitchen wall and compliments the color tablecloths and curtains. “I hope to paint the outside of the house yellow soon.”, Alejandra shares.

“I am grateful for the volunteers who helped us because we were able to move into our home a little faster, thanks to them.”, Alejandra concludes happily.