Juan Mata – Home for a Home

Juan (65) lives with his wife Josefa (61) and their children Juan Carlos (23), Angélica (23), Catalina (19) and baby Esneider (1 month) in the community of Sacchim, San Sebastian, Department of Huehuetenango. Juan and Juan Carlos work in agriculture, while the women take care of the different household chores.

With the support from Home for a Home and Habitat Guatemala, the Mata family received an extra room, a smokeless stove and a latrine. These solutions helped improve their living conditions by providing them with proper sanitation and a smokeless free environment.

Before receiving their housing solutions, the family slept in one room. Their house was made with made from adobe brick walls, dirt flooring and straw roofing. “The new room is working well for us. We no longer feel cold, the house keeps us warm and we feel happy with it. We have been living in the old house for over 35 years.”

Regarding their old stove, Juan shares: “The old stove was in poor conditions.  The new one is working great! We don’t use as much wood as befor. I do not have to buy wood often and the smoke goes outside so my wife no longer gets sick.”  The family has felt an improvement with their new latrine too, as the previous one was in poor condition.

Juan says, “Thank you all for our stove, our room and our latrine! We feel content with these products as they are improving our lives.”