Where there was once an empty lot, there now stands a home.

Wagner and María José were renting a home in Guastatoya for a long time. They were paying 600 Quetzales, or 80 Dollars, every month. They were getting no return from their payment, because it was going to straight to the homeowner.

And apart from that, they had a child. Two and a half year old Anthony was growing up, which made the prospect of home ownership even more attractive. When you have a child that regularly breaks things that don’t belong to you, costs add up quick!

When partnering with Habitat Guatemala to get their place built, the family was asked if a volunteer team could help with the construction of the house. «Thanks for your support,» says Maria Jose. «And for your time, being here with us. Blessings to you!»

Maria Jose digs for her keys. «Check it out,» she says. «Wagner installed this door. And these windows!» Wagner’s got a job selling metal products as well as windows, so it was with great pride that he could install the windows and doors on his own house.

Wagner’s craftsmanship

Maria Jose, Wagner, and little Antony are planning to move in as soon as they get the place fixed up to their liking. They are planning to put in a tile floor and breakfast counter. The house will also be furnished before they move in, but the family is taking small steps, doing what they can within their means.

The family currently pays 600 Quetzales per month, the same as what they used to pay. But the difference is huge. Now, the family has added space, an area to plant their own trees, and a sense of ownership and reward for their labor. Maria Jose wears a big smile as she talks about her house and the experience with the volunteers. She sends all of her greetings and blessings on her behalf as well as Wagner’s.

They have planted other plants around the house as well as those baby trees!

«We were living in the center of town,» says Thelma. Her 5-year-old son Jaime clings to her leg as she tells her story. Thelma, her husband, and their three children were renting a place in the middle of Rabinal, a small city in the department of Baja Verapaz. Usually, in the center of towns, buildings are higher quality and therefore more expensive. Although Rabinal is far from a bustling metropolitan hub, the same still applied.

«It was hard for us to pay the rent there,» says Thelma, keeping an eye on Jaime as he hung from the kitchen counter.

And aside from that fact, «my kids were always getting into mischief. The lady who owned the house had plants, but my kids ruined them.» Jaime runs into another room and swings on the hammock.

«And there wasn’t much space, so my kids would sometimes fight,» Thelma adds. Between a series of problems in their old house, the family decided it would be best to have their own place, somewhere that they didn’t have so many worries. They partnered with Habitat Guatemala and before long, they were moving things into their new place. Their own place.

For Thelma and her family, having the volunteers help build her house was an unforgettable experience. «We appreciate the support they offered,» she says. «It was a pleasure to be able to work together with them, and it was really fun. We were never expecting to work with a group of North Americans to build our house.»

Looking back on how things were before, Thelma is relieved. She takes a deep breath. «I feel deeply content. My kids can still break things like glass, but at least now it’s our own.»

Thelma and Jose Luis are still moving in, but they are proud to have a place that they can claim as their own. Slowly they are moving everything, which has its benefits for playful little Jaime, who has an apparent knack for seeing everything for its jungle gym-like qualities.