Cesi Garcia Serech

At the top of a hill, a corn field surrounds Cesi Garcia Serech’s house. The view is impressive. Clouds hang over Lake Atitlan, illuminated by a few sun rays. Here, Cesi lives with her four-year little daughter, Jimena, and her husband, Oliver. They share the plot of land with Cesi’s in-laws.

A little further down on the hill, two latrines stand side by side. One is old, and the other is new. The older latrine was built by Cesi’s husband’s family about four years ago. “The previous latrine was in bad condition. It was dirty and rotting,” Cesi remembers. She used to share it with all of her extended family. “Plus, there was no privacy because there was no door”.

The new latrine shows a clear contrast. “The biggest change is that now the latrine is closed off. And we have some privacy,” explains Cesi. She is proud to have her own space. “It is cleaner and easier to clean. It is also more hygienic, especially for my daughter”.

With Habitat for Humanity Guatemala’s Healthy Home Kit, Cesi also benefitted from a new stove. Cesi and her daughter used to suffer from the smoke of their previous stove because there was no chimney that allowed for ventilation. As a result, their old stove negatively impacted their health, forcing them to cough and entering their eyes.

Cesi’s family built the previous stove with few blocks. But because it was too small and poorly constructed Cesi and Jimena used to burn themselves. “What I like about the new stove is that it is bigger and it consumes less wood. The new stove requires half as much logs as the previous one,” Cesi notes. With the extra money they save, Cesi can buy more food for her family. She purchases more meat and can prepare her daughter’s favorite dish: grilled chicken.  When her mother says those words, a big smile appears on Jimena’s mischievous face.

When asked about the group of volunteers who came to help build her stove and latrine, Cesi says,“I thank them for their help. I am grateful.”

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Gricelda Cumez Matzar

Gricelda Cumez Matzar, her husband, Filadelfo, and their five children recently moved into their new home. They were looking for a place to be closer to her family. Now she is living few meters away from her relatives, surrounded by their corn fields. When they arrived, her husband quickly built a latrine with the limited materials that they had. They gathered some sticks of wood to make walls and used tarpaulin for the door. There was no roof.

Luckily, Habitat for Humanity Guatemala’s Healthy Kit Program helped Gricelda and her husband, Filadelfo, improve their new living circumstances. “During a school meeting, a promotor presented about the Healthy Kit Program. We were interested, so we went to the office and asked to participate.” It was a new opportunity for their family to improve their house.

A few months later, a group of volunteers came to build a new latrine and a new stove. Gricelda recalls that it was great teamwork, with all of her family participating in the construction. “We removed the stones, we dug, spread the sand … and in one day it was done!”

Gricelda notes the changes. “Now there is a roof, and it’s not raining anymore in the latrine. It is also cleaner.” She makes it clear that it is important to take good care of the new structure. “I taught to my daughters how to clean the latrine. All my family has to take care of it. Every day I make sure that the latrine is clean.”

Above all, participating in the Healthy Home Kit project went well, concludes Gricelda. She enumerates the other changes in their everyday life. The family’s water filter protects them from stomach pains that can be caused by impure water. Gricelda is also fond of her new stove, which is smokeless, warms up easily, and doesn’t consume a lot of firewood. It is a far cry, she remembers, from her previous stove. “There was no chimney, and it was too small and broken.”

Griselda is appreciative of the volunteer’s work. “I thank the group of volunteers for coming to me and offering their help. Although I am still in need, my living conditions have improved.” She adds jokingly, “whenever they want to come back to build something else, they are welcome!”

 

Mercedes Guadalupe Velásquez García (29) is demure, but her happiness is unmistakable. Trotting on the tip toes of her blue sneakers, she meanders between chairs in the kitchen to point out to us her most prized possession: the sewing machine.

She pushes her glasses up her nose, a smile tugging at the sides of her mouth, and she places a hand atop of the machine. “I’ve been doing needlework for five years. I sell it down in the town below. I love sewing aprons, because you can do so many different designs with them.”

Here, home and work life seamlessly intertwine. Mercedes and her family have lived in their home for about a year, and they could not be more content. Ample space provides Mercedes with a quiet environment that she never realized that she needed. She has painted each room in her house a different color: pink, yellow, and green hues light up the house.

“Much of what I do can be completed in my house. I have more free time that way. I feel more free rather than being confined to two rooms,” Mercedes says. She also no longer feels inhibited by cramped quarters, which defined her previous living conditions. “I plan to expand this room so that it can be a bit bigger,” she reveals to us.

There is no doubt that Mercedes is eager to take advantage of her newfound freedoms that she has gained from living in her own home. “We rented my brother’s house for three years,” she remembers. That included her husband, Jhonny (29), her young daughter, Nataly (6), and her niece, Jenifer (16). “We wanted to move to have something of our own.”

Luckily, Mercedes heard about Habitat for Humanity from her neighbors. “We chatted with the local affiliate to figure out pricing, interest, mortgages, everything. It took only fifteen days for our papers to be approved.”

When asked about what she has taken away from the experience, Mercedes beams. “I like how it is good people helping other good people.” She also is grateful to the support of the international volunteers who made her home possible. “Thank you for helping us. May God bless you, and may you continue to support more people.”

Rosa Maria Chávez Velázquez de Xamíne remembers the day that volunteer came to construct her sanitary latrine. “Seven or eight Americans came to build over two days,” she says. “The first day, they were here from 1:00-3:30 and the second day, they were here all morning.”

Prior to their arrival, Rosa had been busy for several weeks with preparations. She made sure to gather the materials, including the wooden slats, nails, hammers, adobe blocks, and cement. She also took the initiative to dig the hole for the latrine pit on her own. “It took me two straight days, but I did it!” she beams with pride.

Rosa’s determination to build a new, clean latrine was not unfounded. Her family of five previously used a seven-year-old latrine that had multiple problems. She shakes her head as she describes it. “It was made of small slabs of wood and a piece of laminate sheeting, nothing more. Also, it was in poor condition because it wasn’t built well.” The interior of the structure also had problems. “There was rust. And there were problems with the toilet bowl. More than anything, it was difficult to maintain or clean.”

Luckily, Rosa found a solution right in her own community. “The municipality told us that there were latrines available as a project and that they would be constructing them soon,” she says. “All they needed were photocopies of our paperwork.” She and her husband, Victor, applied to build a new latrine. They were soon accepted.

Rosa is grateful for the new changes that the sanitary latrine has brought her. “Now, it works well, it’s cleaner and easier to clean, and it’s so comfy!” she exclaims. “We feel great to have this latrine. It’s better than the old one and it serves us well.”

To the group of volunteers that came to build her latrine, Rosa is incredibly appreciative. “Thank you; I am so grateful to you. You have supported my family with a beautiful job well done. Thank you for giving your time.”