Ana Jasmin Rano Peña (20) and her husband, Ereck (26) are expecting their first child together. This morning, between cleaning up her kitchen from breakfast and chatting with us, she is preparing for the latest doctor’s checkup. As she speaks, she rubs her tummy nonchalantly. She smiles when we ask her about the baby. “We’re really looking forward to building a family.”

Before looking into Habitat for Humanity Guatemala, Ana and her husband were cramped for space and were looking to move. “We lived my mom and nephew, in a tiny room. It’s only ten minutes away from the new house, which is great, because we have family close by. But not that close!” laughs Ana. “I wanted the experience of my own house; I had never had one to myself before.”

Ana’s family was the group that introduced her to Habitat for Humanity Guatemala. All of her siblings previously applied for and received sustainable housing solutions in the Zacapa district. When they heard about the positive experiences, Ana and Ereck decided to give it a try.

The experiment has paid off. After living in the Amway Colony for the past nine months, Ana loves living in a close community. “It’s a beautiful experience.” She also loves the changes to her daily routine. “I have more time and can enjoy it, too. I look forward to planting flowers, to arranging the house any way I would like.”

Ana also has kind words for the Amway volunteers who worked on her house:

“The volunteers helped us so much; and they were so much fun! May Habitat continue building dreams, because a dream is a home.”

For a long time, Irma (20) knew that her family would be unable to thrive in a cramped and troublesome space. When asked about how she used to live, she sighs deeply and sounds frustrated. “We were in the same house with my in-laws. It was difficult, because for two years, we didn’t have any privacy or stability. It was one room, nothing more, with all of the beds, stove, tables. Everything. My little boy, Oscarito, couldn’t grow, and he was being picked on. No one wants to live in one room for all of their life.”

With Oscarito already two years old and facing endless trouble with bullying cousins, Irma and her husband, Estiven (22), decided that it was time to find other solutions. Irma suggested that the couple look into her brother’s experience with Habitat. Her face lights up. “His house was so beautiful, and when we saw it, I knew that was what we needed.”

Irma and Estiven applied for a house with Habitat and were approved to build. Since moving into their house a few months ago, Irma has already noted enormous changes, especially with security. “I love this house. There’s privacy, the rooms are bigger. We can cook separately from the beds and don’t have to worry about fire.”

Even more important has been the happiness that she, her husband, and her son have discovered. “My life has changed. I can do more things. This house is easier to take care of. My son is happier because he can be free to play and has the space to do it.”

Some Habitat participants have the opportunity to live in a Habitat house before applying to build their own. Renting a Habitat house has many advantages. Because each family is unique, each is able to gauge its wants and needs accordingly. This was the case of Jazmin (24), her husband, Jorge (23), and their three-year-old daughter, Emily. Jazmin recalls a positive experience before her house was built. “We were renting a house in the Skipper Colony. We were there about eight months, so we could see what it was like.”

As much as the setup worked, Jazmin and Jorge wanted to have the opportunity to own their very own home. “We wanted a new house because we didn’t want to rent anymore,” She tells me. “Also, renting has become more expensive. My husband already works long hours as a Machine Operator at a local furniture company, and I’m working as a teacher, which can be hard on both of us sometimes. It didn’t make sense to live somewhere that was never really going to be ours.”

The change has been extremely rewarding.“It’s been 3 months since we moved into our new house, and it feels great, thanks to God. It’s safe and stable, there is no need to pay other people for something we don’t own. The experience was beautiful, especially getting to know the people who made our house possible. I hope that they return this year and that we see each other again.”

When we mention that the group will be coming back in 2017, Jazmin’s eyes sparkle, and she claps her hands together in delight. She describes her favorite moment with the team. “There was a beautiful dinner in which we ate together. They danced and sang, and we enjoyed ourselves quite a bit. On the last night, we took a lot of photos. We’re even Facebook friends!” She pulls out her phone and begins to explain each image. Her face glows with recollection. It is clear that working with Habitat has impacted her family’s life for years to come.

Now that she has a house and yard, little Emily can freely enjoy riding her tricycle.