Rosalina, her husband and three children live on a hillside of Colonia Puerto Rico that overlooks the nearby city of Chimaltenango—it’s a beautiful property. The view of the surrounding mountains is green, verdant and expansive. Rosalina’s father owns the land and gifted Rosalina and her husband the land, but building a house was a costly undertaking they simply couldn’t afford.

A neighbor shared with them about Habitat –the organization would afford them the opportunity to build their own home, if they could secure their own land – land Rosalina’s father already had ready for them. Rather than continuing to rent the house they were in –they decided to pursue the opportunity of having their own house. “We knew we could be pushed out at any moment,” Rosalina said. When asked how she feels having her own house, she said, “I feel content, it’s our house, our own property. The kids are well and we are very happy.”

The family remembers the volunteers who came to help them build. “They were very kind. When they left, almost all of us cried.” “We want you to know that we remember you all a lot, the kids ask for you, whether we can call you, when you’re coming next, and when is the next time you can play?” “I show them the photos we have and remind them of the joyful time—you are in our hearts.”

Maria Maricella, her husband Ronald and their son Wilmer live in El Rosario, Chimaltenango. They recently received a smokeless stove through Habitat. Their new stove includes a chimney that funnels the smoke out of house, allowing Maria, Ronald and Wilmer to enjoy each meal in a smoke-free environment.

Prior to having her new stove, Maria cooked on an open fire “pollo” stove. They experienced a lot of problems due to the smoke. The family suffered head aches and congestion “now it’s better and there isn’t any smoke, it heats the food well too” says Maria.

When asked her favorite food to cook on her new stove, she shared unwaveringly, that it is frijoles, “because it’s the food we like the most, it’s easy to cook on the new stove because the fire is less intense.”

Maria and her family send their thank you’s to the volunteers who came to help them build their stove and expressed her gratitude.

Maria Teresa and her family of seven live in Xesuj San Martin, Chimaltenango. Before receiving her smokeless stove, Maria Teresa cooked in a small room with an open fire stove, where the smoke would be trapped inside despite opening doors and a small window. Now, the chimney pipe of her new stove funnels the smoke out of the house.

With her new stove, Maria Teresa can cook more. She bake her tortillas on her stovetop and can cook multiple at one time because of the large space. More than anything, Maria enjoys making her daily frijoles, “they don’t fall over into the fire.” She remembers too how the fire from the old stove burned her clothes and remarks how the isolation of the fire on the new stove protects her from any exposure to the fire.

Maria Teresa expresses her genuine excitement for her new stove and her gratitude to the volunteers who came to build with them. “Thank you, I will never forget you all for helping us.”