Blog – Página 118 – Hábitat para la Humanidad Guatemala

Un sueño más en San Benito, Petén

9 marzo, 2018/en Familias /por j.bailon

Con esfuerzo todo es posible, así lo cuenta Miriam Ramos, quien junto a su esposo lucharon para lograr tener un hogar seguro y saludable para sus hijos.

“Hay mucha necesidad, por eso motivamos a seguir llevando esperanza a más familias que como nosotros necesitan de un hogar, gracias Hábitat”. Miriam Ramos

Miriam recuerda que hace unos años vivian alquilando un cuarto con su esposo Marcos, y después vivieron en una casa de lámina y madera, en donde cada invierno el agua les llegaba hasta las rodillas. Sin embargo, la chispa de la esperanza los movía para ahorrar poco a poco hasta poder comprar un terreno. En este, lograron construir una casita improvisada, pero anhelaban algo mejor para ellos y sus hijos.

Así fue como empezaron a visitar lugares para poder construir una casa solida, sin embargo, ninguno de los lugares se acoplaba a su presupuesto, hasta que amigos de Marcos su esposo, les comentaron sobre Hábitat para la Humanidad despertando el interés de inmediato por las cuotas bajas y el plazo para pagar.

Actualmente, Miriam nos cuenta que se siente muy feliz por la oportunidad que Hábitat le brindó al poder tener un hogar seguro y saludable, donde ya no sufren por las inundaciones en su casa a causa de la lluvia.

Todos merecemos una chispa de esperanza y Miriam tenía suficiente para hacer realidad su sueño, ahora ella y su familia viven en San Benito, Petén, un lugar propio, seguro y adecuado.

Casa donde vivía Miriam y su familia antes de acercarse a nuestras oficinas.

Contactanos: https://www.habitatguate.org/contactenos/

88 Healthy Home Kits from Habitat for Humanity Netherlands

2 marzo, 2018/en News EN /por admin

Elena Juan Miguel with her family and their new latrine.

This past week, 88 Healthy Home Kits were completed in the community of San Vicente de Paul, in the department of Escuintla, Guatemala. The funds for this project were provided by Habitat for Humanity Netherlands, and make a lasting impact in the lives of the beneficiary families. The mood of the day was happy and festive, with several community members sharing their gratitude for the project and expressing their hope that Habitat for Humanity Netherlands would continue to support the people of Guatemala.

Elena Juan Miguel, a beneficiary of the project, spoke with happiness for the generosity of Habitat for Humanity Netherlands: “I really want to thank the donor,” she shared. “This has been such a big help. They didn’t come just to give stuff away; they really involved the families in the process. We had to work hard to build our latrine. My husband dug out the earth for the new latrine himself.”

Elena Juan Miguel with her family and their new water filter.

For families like Elena’s, a Healthy Home Kit, which consists of a latrine, a smokeless stove, and a water filter, makes a substantial difference in their quality of life. 95% of drinking water in Guatemala is contaminated, so without access to a water filter, people contract parasites and other water-borne diseases, including cholera, salmonella, and E.Coli. And Guatemala’s most impoverished families often have no choice but to cook over an open flame. This often leads to health problems and burns; 52% of Guatemalans suffer from a respiratory disease caused by indoor smoke inhalation.

It is for these reasons that the Healthy Home Kit program is a primary focus. Habitat for Humanity Guatemala is grateful for this partnership with Habitat for Humanity Netherlands that will make a lasting difference in the lives of 88 families!

A new Habitat for Humanity latrine with the old latrine visible in the background.

The old latrine.

Angelina Miguel with her new smokeless stove.

María with her children and their new smokeless stove.

A new Habitat for Humanity Guatemala latrine.

Building 100 Stoves to Celebrate our 100,000th Housing Solution!

23 febrero, 2018/en News EN /por admin

This April, we are celebrating our 100,000th Housing Solution! From the 21st until the 29th of April, we will build with partner affiliates from the United States in Antigua and Zacapa. Thank you for making it possible for us to reach this goal!

But we’re not done yet. As part of our mission to improve housing in Guatemala, we work to better the situations of our most vulnerable families: those who earn between $2 and $4 daily. In honor of our 100K milestone we are seeking to support 100 vulnerable families with a smokeless stove. Donate here.

Why a stove? Habitat Guatemala smokeless stoves improve the health of families by eliminating disease-inducing indoor smoke and lowering the risk of burns from cooking over an open flame. Additionally, smokeless stoves cut the amount of wood needed to cook almost in half, saving families money and time.

One smokeless stove costs $100 USD and drastically improves the homes of families. Help us support Guatemalans by donating today. (If you choose to support this initiative, make sure to designate your donation to 100K!)

Marielsy Susely Alistan

22 febrero, 2018/en Meet our families, News /por admin

Marielsy Susely and her two-year-old son, Joshep, live in their home in Zacapa. Her husband, Victor, moved to the United States for work about one month ago, but Marielsy is planning on staying in Guatemala. Her aunt is her neighbor–she also lives in a Habitat Guatemala home–and Marielsy likes living close to her family. “Before we built our home with Habitat for Humanity Guatemala we lived with my parents,” Marielsy shared. “We wanted our own home, our own space. And it’s wonderful–I can make my own decisions about my house. We still need to finish the floor,” continued Marielsy. “But I’m happy to be in my home.”

“It was so nice to have the volunteers help build our home!” Marielsy expresses. “It was difficult to build in the hot sun, but they worked hard.”

Lucia Virginia Coxaj

22 febrero, 2018/en Meet our families, News /por admin

Lucia Virginia lives with her husband, Gerson, their young son, Gerson Gael, and her sister-in-law in Sololá. Prior to building their home, the family rented a house in the town of Panajachel, about half an hour away. Lucia works in Panajachel in the mornings as an office assistant and her husband is a boat driver. They bought the land about five years ago because they knew they eventually wanted to have their own home in the area; the rest of Lucia’s family moved to Guatemala City, but she decided to stay to be near her grandfather.

“We are so happy to have our own home,” Lucia expresses. “Before, we all shared two rooms–now we have four! We are planning on painting the house a melon color and in the future would like to build an addition, too.”

“It was so nice to have the volunteers here,” she continued. “Everyone was so happy to work and had so much energy! I’m so thankful for the good work that they did and ask God to bless them.”

Martha Calel

21 febrero, 2018/en Meet our families, News /por admin

Martha Calel and her family live in Sololá. Her husband, Nicolaces, works in the surrounding communities cutting firewood for people to buy. They have two sons, aged four and six. Martha and her family have their own house and various other family members live in their own houses on the same land. In the middle of the houses is a temazcal, or Maya sweat lodge, that the family members share.

Martha learned about the Habitat for Humanity Guatemala Healthy Home Kits program from a community leader. Her family needed a new stove and latrine, so Martha decided the program was a good fit for her family. “Our old stove was really small,” Martha explained. “There wasn’t enough room to prepare food. Now, I have space to cook.”

As for a latrine, Martha and her family were sharing one with her brother-in-law and his family. Now, they have their own latrine and it’s much easier to keep clean.

Maria also has a message for the volunteers who helped build her family’s stove and latrine: “Thank you for your support! We are very happy with our new stove and latrine.”