The Jacinto Ruano Family

Selena (21) and her husband, Alex (24) have lived in their house since June. Since moving in, their two-year-old son, Alexander has acquired and becomes best friends with his new puppy, Fanny. The two are inseparable. Wherever Alex goes, Fanny trots after him, sometimes tripping over her paws.

Selena giggles at the scene. “Before, this would not have been possible,” she says. “We were living with my in-laws in Jute, in a small house that had four rooms, but were divided into three parts, as well as a kitchen. Sometimes, the lack of space caused a lot of problems.” She reveals to us that Alexander was being picked on by another child living in the house. “We knew that we had to leave because of that. He needs safety as a child.”

Soon enough, Selena and her husband decided to make a change. They sent in an application to the Zacapa Affiliate of Habitat for Humanity Guatemala to build a house. “It was better for us to live on our own, mainly because we wanted to live more calmly.”

Selena notes that since the move, the changes have brought positive developments. “With Habitat, everything went well. We feel great to have our own house. No one fights, Alexander can go to school nearby. And he can play with his puppy. They’re the best of friends.”