“I wanted to move because instead of paying someone else, I pay for me and Marjory. And I know that the money is going to something special.”

These are the first sentences that Frenely (25) confides to us. She is shy around newcomers. However, she immediately brightens when her five-year-old daughter, Marjory, enters the room. The two of them are peas in a pod and spend many afternoons singing and dancing in the kitchen, like mothers and daughters do.

This scene, although relatively new for them, has already had an enormous impact on their little family. As a single mom, Frenely worked for nearly a year running a small food stall to save up and apply for a Habitat House that she knew would be perfect for just the two of them. “We were renting in Usumatlan in a Habitat house that looked exactly like this.” She points to the kitchen, bedrooms, and back towards the bathroom.

When asked about how it feels to have a home at least, she smiles. “It feels to good. I feel comfortable here.” There have been other benefits that home ownership has granted her. Frenely cites that past domestic relationships have not allowed her as much freedom. “If I need something, I can go and get it myself, without answering to anyone,” she says. “I love the comfort and stability that a house brings. If I want to go out, I can go out. If I want to stay, I can stay. The time doesn’t matter, and no one controls me or my daughter.”

As for her plans for the house, Frenely is looking forward to the Christmas holidays. She hopes to add a bit more to the house by putting down a floor and sewing some curtains. With Marjory by her side, anything is possible.

For as long as she can remember, twenty-year-old Yoselin Marleny Flores Pineda has been connected with Habitat for Humanity Guatemala. She and her sister grew up in her mother, Rita’s house, which was built by a volunteer Habitat group twelve years ago.  When it came time for Yoselin and her two-year-old daughter, Gisela, to move, she knew just who to contact. “My mom’s house was getting a little bit too small for all of us,” she says. “Because I have a daughter now, I wanted her to grow up with more space. It feels wonderful to be able to provide a house for her.”

The change has been rapid, but positive. For the past few months, Yoselin has worked tirelessly to make the new house, which is down the street from where she grew up, feel like home. Rita has helped take care of Gisela in the meantime. “We finished construction in March and moved in this past May after we were done painting.” Yoselin and Rita look at one another and laugh at the memory. They gesture to the walls, which are covered in vibrant floral patterns. “My sister is an artist, and she was really excited to put her art on the walls. I love all sorts of color, so I let her go ahead and be creative with it.”

Yoselin shows us each room, which has been painted a bright shade of green, pink, purple, or blue. Her house also breathes a love of flowers; several different kinds have been planted in front of the house. Many more pots are scattered throughout the kitchen and living room. When Gisela naps, she sleeps under a floral curtain.

“It’s calming here,” Yoselin says.  “I can be on my own, but I can still see my mother, and she can still see her granddaughter. We can both be independent, but also together.”

Hilda Marroquín Rojas and her family live in a natural paradise located about five minutes from the small town of Sanarate. Propped against a bright blue sky, the landscape is dotted with trees, birds, and a quiet house perched on the edge of a field. Three small children can be found giggling on the house’s back steps. They are Hilda’s eight-year-old son, Jesus Adrian, and her young nieces, Sharon and Mabe. The trio eagerly engages in spontaneous games of tag in the early morning sunlight. Hilda’s mother, Rosa, watches fondly over them as she sweeps the yard free of leaves that have fallen from the trees.

Hilda (38) enjoys the landscape, and her new house, too. Her husband, Eriberto (42), works as a crewman on a ship for nine months every year, and the new house is a source of comfort for her during his absence. Although it still requires some work, she is looking forward to moving in. For now, however, she is content with already what have been enormous changes. “It feels good to have our own house and our own privacy. My youngest son has a lot space to play and grow. The landscape is calming. I love coming here in the afternoons, where I can just enjoy the sun and the trees.”

In addition to add more furniture and finishing the final touches on electrical work, Hilda looks forward to making space for other creatures. “I would love to have a small farm with some chickens, a little dog, or some ducks. And flowers! All of the flowers.” She laughs.  “At my in-laws house [where we used to live], there was no space to do that, but in this one, we can.”

For the Canada Team, who began construction on the house in July, Hilda holds several fond memories. “The group was so good with my nieces. We had a birthday party and celebrated with a piñata, food, and fun. It was such a special moment to share with them.”

“I want you to know that everything is going well, and that, bit by bit, we are building up the house.” She says. “You were so kind and wonderful to us, and it was a pleasure to share this experience with you. I never imagined that I would meet such caring and beautiful people who live on the other side of the world. I give you compassion in my heart. May God watch over you.”