Ingrid Celestina and her husband, José Manuel, live with their two young sons Jose Angel and Francisco in a community in the region of Sololá. While José works in a shop in the nearby town of Sololá, Ingrid teaches elementary school in the morning and makes jewelry in the afternoon. Her speciality is creating beaded earrings, necklaces, and bracelets which she sells in a store in Antigua.

Ingrid and José learned about the low-interest loans that Habitat for Humanity Guatemala offers qualifying families at a promotional booth at a local fair. This is what immediately attracted them; they knew they wanted their own home as a family and this was a way to make it happen. Previously, they lived with Ingrid’s parents and, with two growing boys, it was becoming cramped. So Ingrid and José submitted an application to Habitat Guatemala and began the process of building their home.“Now that we have our own home I have my own space to cook, I save time in my daily tasks,” Ingrid says happily. “And, quite truly, now that I have a dedicated area for making my jewelry, this has become easier for me too. It’s much better to live in your own home. This is something I’ve always wanted.”

Ingrid continues: “It was wonderful to have the volunteers here. We loved learning about their culture. Everyone worked together, no matter the age, and it was beautiful to see the teamwork. It’s more efficient to work together. They are in our hearts and we love them!”

Pedro  and Francisca live in Sololá. They are seventy years old and have lived in their house since they were twenty-five. Pedro grew up in a larger town and learned both Spanish and Kaqchikel (a Mayan language) during his childhood, whereas Francisca is from a rural village where exclusively Kaqchikel is spoken.

“I went to school when I was young,” says Pedro. “When I turned twelve my father told me I had to stop school. He said it was time that I learned how to work.” Since then, Pedro has worked in the fields, planting and harvesting crops, and Francisca works in agriculture as well.

When Pedro learned about Habitat for Humanity Guatemala from a community volunteer, he immediately knew that he wanted to improve his home by implementing a Habitat Guatemala Healthy Home Kit, which includes a new latrine, a smokeless stove, and a water filter.

Before Pedro and Francisca implemented their Healthy Home Kit, they cooked on the floor of their kitchen and suffered health issues from the smoke. They used a latrine that was forty-five years old–built when they first moved onto their land. And in order to get clean drinking water, they had to walk ten minutes away from their home, down a hill, and then haul the water back up the hill. “It would take at least half and hour to bring the water back,” explained Pedro. Now, because of their new water filter, he and Francisca have access to safe drinking water in their home.

“We are older,” Pedro says calmly. “And we don’t know how much time we have left on earth. But for the time being, our lives have been improved and we are grateful that this happened. And the volunteers, well they worked really hard! We appreciate the support they gave us.”

The Cruz family lives in a bright white house with a lush garden in the bustling town of Panajachel, located at the edge of Lake Atilán. Ana Maria and Henri own their own business; they make and sell artisan piñatas in the surrounding area. They have two children–a fifteen year old son who is in school and a twenty year old daughter who works as a receptionist.

When Ana Maria and Henri first got married, they lived in an adobe house on the same piece of land they built their new home. “In 2007, there was an earthquake in Guatemala,” explains Henri. “Our old house was damaged beyond repair and we had to move in with my parents.” Looking through his phone, he finds a photo of their old house.

They learned about Habitat for Humanity Guatemala through a local presentation about the various projects and opportunities. Because they wanted to live in their own house as a family, they decided to apply for the loan and begin the process. Families who partner with Habitat Guatemala choose and hire their own mason. In this case, Henri and Ana Maria hired a friend of many years. “He did a great job,” says Henri. “I’m so grateful that he helped us build our home.”

In the future, Ana Maria and Henri would like to build one or two more stories onto their house. “As our family grows, we would like to have space for everyone,” they explain. As their smiles express, they are very happy to be in their home and plan to live there for years to come.

As for the volunteers, the family says they think about them a lot. Ana Maria remembers the volunteers enthusiastically, “They were such happy workers! They really cared about us and we appreciate their efforts in helping us build our home. Our whole family is very thankful.”

Ramona and José Meletz live in a village in rural Sololá. She and her husband support their ten children by making and selling crafts; José weaves and Ramona makes jewelry.

Before building their new smokeless stove, the Bocel Meletz family used an old stove made of adobe blocks. The main issues with the old stove was that it filled the kitchen area with smoke and that it was very easy for the children to burn themselves on the stove. The family members had continual problems with throat irritation and pneumonia. Ramona and José´s daughter, now twenty-three years old, also suffered a serious burn when she was younger but fortunately was able to recover.

Fortunately, the new stove has remedied some of these issues and has created a kitchen space free of smoke for the family to cook.

The family remembered the volunteers fondly–they said that everyone worked hard, both the men and the women. They noted that the volunteers knew how to work as a team, a part of their culture they appreciated. José especially remembers one of the volunteers who is studying to be a teacher and how she taught the children songs they still remember.

José has these words to share with the group: “First of all, thank you and may God bless you greatly. You are part of our family and community and we send our greetings!”