María lives with her husband, Víctor, and their three children, Karla (11), Juan (10) and Wilmer (6) in a small community in Lake Atitlán, Sololá.  While Víctor works in agriculture, María takes care of the children and the household chores.

“I used to cook over an open flame. It was not built correctly and the smoke made us sick; I learned about Habitat Guatemala’s project through a local committee member,” explains María. A few months later, she is content with her stove; “The new stove works great. I enjoy preparing every meal!”

Thanks to Habitat for Humanity Guatemala, María and her family are no longer affected from issues created by the presence of smoke. They used to cough and suffer from irritated eyes. Now, she can cook without any fear that her family will have health problems. Moreover, because the stove consumes less firewood, María does not need to buy as many logs as before.

For the group that came to help build their stove, María sends this message, “Maltiox! Thank you all for your support. We felt happy when we found out you were coming and enjoyed the time you spent here,” she continues, “We are enjoying our stove and we send greetings to all of you.”

Evelin lives with her husband, Elvis, and their two children, Nicolas (3) and Daniel (2) in a small community in Lake Atitlán, Sololá.  While Elvis works as a blacksmith, Evelin is a homemaker.

As part of Habitat Guatemala’s Healthy Home Kit, families receive a smokeless stove, a sanitary latrine and a water filter, to help them improve their health by giving them adequate access to proper sanitation, potable water and a smoke free environment.  When Evelin found out about this project, they decided it was the perfect opportunity to improve her family’s quality of life.

“I used to cook on a bigger and older stove. It consumed much more wood, which cost more money. The new one is working better, it consumes less wood. I feel happy and satisfied with it! My favorite dish to prepare is Chao Mein,” says Evelin. Now, they are no longer affected from issues created by smoke. They used to cough and suffer from irritated eyes. Now, she can cook without any fear of having health issues.

Before receiving their new latrine, Evelin explains that they had to share one with other 14 relatives. “ We did not have one just for ourselves, Now, we have more privacy and it is cleaner.” The family is very satisfied with their water filter as well. Now, Nicolás y Daniel can drink potable water and not get sick.

Adriana refers to their time with the volunteers by explaining, “It was a fun day, we enjoyed our time with all of them. We are very grateful to them and God for their support. Thank you for your kindness. May God bless you.”

Nicolasa lives with her husband Gaspar, in a small community in Sololá.  While Gaspar works in the fields, Nicolasa is a homemaker and takes care of the family pets.

“I used to cook on an old stove that was really small; I learned about Habitat Guatemala’s Healthy Home Kit project, talked to my husband and we decided to try it,” explains Nicolasa. A few months later, she is happy with the stove. “I feel content. The stove is working great and it does not consume a lot of firewood. It heats up quickly and gives me enough space to cook all of my meals.”

Thanks to Habitat for Humanity Guatemala, Nicolasa and Gaspar are no longer affected from issues created by smoke. They used to cough and suffer from irritated eyes. Now, she can cook without any fear of having health issues. Moreover, because the stove consumes less firewood, Nicolasa does not need to buy as many logs as before.

The water filter has also improved their health. Nicolasa notes that they no longer suffer from stomachaches. She also has found that the taste of the water is MORE appealing. In addition, the latrine has improved their living conditions and is now a cleaner, healthier and a more private environment.

When asked about the group that came to help her family, a smile appears on Nicolasa’s face, “Congratulations to all the volunteers that came to support us! We had a great time together. Thank you!”

Byron, his wife Glendy, and their two children,  Marleny (9) and Jefferson (5), are currently living in their new Habitat home in San Andrés Semetabaj, Sololá. While Byron mainly works as a mason, he also works as a clown named, “Trishano” and holds many different occupations, Glendy takes care of the children and the household chores.

“When we started our family, we were living in a wooden house in the land across the street. Later on, we were able to build another house (the one that is below us). This space was not enough for my family, we needed a bigger and safer space.” says Byron. After learning about Habitat’s programs, Byron and Glendy decided it was time to build a new home and provide their children with a safe and adequate future.

When asked how they feel with their new home, Byron responds, ”We feel very happy to have our house, my children too! As you can see, I have made some improvements to it; we built the front porch, and added tiles to the floor too. We are very content.” In the future they are planning to paint the house.

What their family enjoys most about being at home is playing together, as well as sitting to eat together on the front porch, while watching the rain fall. Their lives have changed in a major way, “We feel very comfortable, everyone has their own space now,” explains Byron.

About the week of construction with the volunteers, Byron recalls, “They were hard workers! They carried a lot of materials and were of great help in the construction!” He finishes by sharing a message to the volunteers, “We are very grateful for your support, for coming from abroad to help families like ours is admirable. Thank you again! The door to our house is always open. Please feel welcome to come at anytime.”