Norma Miculash Family

Norma Miculash, her husband Javier and children, Haniel, Jose Juan and Amaya live in the town of Buena Vista, Chimaltenango. Norma is a homemaker and sells beauty products from her home, while Javier sells goods in the Market in Antigua.
Norma and Javier were gifted the land they now live on by Norma’s mother. A few months later, they came across Habitat “we learned what requirements were needed,” and the couple decided to build their house.
“Before we lived in my mother’s house but there were more than twelve of us,  and we needed our own space for our family. My brothers have their shop adjacent to the house, so it didn’t have the privacy we needed for our family.” “Here” she says, speaking of her new house, “we feel much more at peace.”  As they have settled into their home, there are many things they enjoy about the new place.  As their family grows, their dream is to add a second story, paint the house, add a little garden and to plant some seeds.
When asked about the group who helped them build, Norma smiled, “we remember the volunteers very well, they came for a week, almost everyone who came were related through family, or through church.” she shares. “My husband and I are so grateful for you and for the work of your hands. It’s something that not everyone does; you came to lift your hands and to do a work that many others would not do,” says Norma.
Norma also shares that her family received a rather unexpected gift from the volunteers. Her son, Jose has delayed motor functions. One of the volunteers, a pastor, connected Norma and her family to a church organization that sponsored Juan’s doctor’s fees to cover physical therapy sessions. As a result, they keep to regularly scheduled visits, rather than having to delay his visits as they did before receiving this help. Norma speaks with optimist as she holds back tears, touched by the gesture of help for improving her son’s health. “We are so grateful for you.” She says, “how can we ever forget you.”

Smokeless Stove: Brenda Ixlá

 

Brenda Leticia, her husband Adalberto along with their two children Mailey (11) and Kaily (6) live in the community of Santa Izabel, Chimaltenango. One year after having her Habitat stove installed by a team of volunteers, we spoke with Brenda to find out what difference her smokeless stove has made for her family. These were her words:
“I’ve lived in this community for 31 years, my whole life. Before I cooked on a “pollo” (an open flame stove) on the ground.” The stove caused me to cough a lot and affected my lungs, now it’s much better because the smoke leaves and goes outside.”

When asked about the difference between her old and her new stove, she says, “the difference is heating– I can heat a lot of things at once—(the new stove) is only one fire but I can cook 4 different things at once—before I had to cook them one at a time.” The stove has three “burners” that allows the singular heat source below to heat the wide surface above.

Her favorite thing to cook is the traditional soup, caldo—”why?” we ask—and she explains, the pot used to cook caldo is large because it feeds her entire family; this includes her immediate family of four and extended relatives – twenty-six people in all. This large pot of soup took two hours to make, “now it takes 30 minutes,” she says. To the volunteers Brenda offered thoughtful words of gratitude. “First, thank you to you and also to our community leaders who worked closely with Habitat to get these stoves to our community. I never imagined that I’d have something like this.”

 

Alejandra Perón Family

Alejandra and Alexander live with their two children Dio (7) and Kimberly (3) in the town of Colonia Santa Isabel, Chimaltenango. They shared that prior to building their house through Habitat, “we lived in a house with 3 families; twelve people in total.” “There, we were in small spaces and we couldn’t do what we wanted because the house wasn’t our own.” With the new change that the new home has brought the children now have a bedroom and as husband and wife, Alejandra and Alexander have a room of their own. “Here we can do what we want, the children have space to run around–we feel very happy with the house.

When asked about any changes they’d like to make to the house the couple shared, “having this house has made us dream–we’d love to add a second storey, add a wall around the house and start a garden but for now, we’re content.”

To the group of volunteers who came, Alejandra and Alexander remarked, “we could not have done this so quickly without them. The process was fast, two months in total, but their visit made things go faster. Thanks for your help to our family”.

Smokeless Stove: María Carmela Patzan

Maria Carmela and her family have lived in their current home for 40 years. She lives with her husband and four children Leida (23), Erica (22), Neihmer (15) and Brialey (6) in the town of Santa Izabel, Chimaltenango.

Recently, they received a wood-efficient stove through Habitat. Previously they had cooked on an open flame adobe stove. “We suffered a lot of smoke,” says Maria Carmela, “the smoke made me cry and now, it does not.”

When asked about her favorite dish to cook, “pepian” she says. It’s a traditional dish made of tomatoes and various spices. Her children and husband all agree, Maria Carmela’s pepian is the family’s favorite, and the dish wouldn’t be complete without her homemade tortillas. To the group of volunteers, Maria Carmen and her family have this message “A great thank you because we are better off because of it” They are grateful that each volunteer came to demonstrate their support and have made their lives better.

Smokeless Stove: Rosa Cuc

Rosa Marina Cuc Pérez and her family of four have lived in her home for the past six years. She has had her smokeless stove for more than 6 months now and says she’s still getting re-accustomed to using it. Just recently, Rosa Marina’s father became sick and she left home to take care of him. She has now returned home full time.
Before having her smokeless stove, Rosa cooked on an open fire “pollo” stove made of adobe and wood. The smoke from the old stove affected her nose, eyes and throat and caused a lot of coughing.

She says the kids are especially becoming accustomed to the change and her son says it often, “Mama there isn’t smoke.”

She says it saves a lot of wood and now she can cook multiple items at once—”before I would cook my tamale, atoll, tortillas. Now I can cook it all on one fire because there are three burners”.

To the volunteers who came to build, Rosa Marina is grateful, she has the photo the left with her and sends this message to the group, “thank you for helping us. When you started to construct I could see you were beautiful people in the way you were hardworking. I’m so grateful for the stove because now the smoke doesn’t affect us. It has helped us a lot. I hope that God will bless and watch over you—thank you.”

Smokeless Stove: María Marroquín

Maria Ursula Marroquín and her husband Lazaro have lived in the town of Joya Grande for the past 36 years along with their three children, Rosalina, Angel and Lydia.

Recently, Maria Ursula and Lazaro received their first smokeless stove when a group of volunteers came to help them build. The stove took just one day to build but has impacted the family and their daily lives. Before, Maria Ursula cooked on an open fire “pollo” stove, built into the earth with adobe and wood. The smoke from the stove affected the family and caused coughing and throat pain. “Now it’s more comfortable” Maria says. Her favorite meals to cook on her new stove is pollo guisado, a stewed chicken, and caldo, a traditional soup.

To the group who came to help them build Maria Ursula is grateful for her new stove and the way it has changed her well-being, especially her health.

Smokeless Stove: María Xil

Maria Elisea lives in Aldea Xesuj with her two children, Maria (26) and Edgar (22) and her grandson Cesar (4). For the past 16 years Maria has cooked for her family using an open fire “pollo” stove.

Smoke from the open stove gave her fits of coughing and affected her eyes and lungs. Just recently, Maria received a smokeless stove from Habitat when a group of volunteers came to her village to help her build it. Maria says her favorite thing about the stove is the chimney that pushes smoke out of the house and keeps it from contaminating the air inside her house.

It is the greatest gift she has ever received, she shared. Maria loves her new stove. Now she can cook more items on her new stove. Her favorite food to cook on her new stove is a traditional caldo de gallina, or chicken soup. Now she spends less time outside over the open fire of her previous stove and now has an indoor area with her new smoke-free stove.

Maria is grateful for the ways the stove has improved her life and is thankful for all the volunteers who came to help build it.

Smokeless Stove: Nancy Can

Nancy, her husband Eddy and two sons, Van and Emerson live in the town of El Duranzo. Nancy would prepare meals for her family of four over an open fire “pollo” stove, which the family constructed themselves. Now, she has had her smokeless stove for over 6 months and is pleased with the effects.

When asked about the difference between her old and new stove, Nancy said, the difference is we don’t inhale the smoke. “The smoke affected our eyes and throat, now it is better” When we asked Nancy, “What is your favorite item to cook using your new stove?”—“Everything!” She says, “everything cooks quickly, and I spend less time in the kitchen.”

Nancy remembers well, the group that came to visit and helped to build her stove. “I want to say thank you for coming to help my family and for helping families who need it most”