The Monzon Ramírez Family

When their children had their own children, Alina (53) and her husband, Antulio (54) knew that it was time to start a new chapter. Together, they began to explore ideas about moving out.

“It’s been beautiful to have been living with my children, but we had to let them and their children grow,” Alina says. “We went to church, and I asked with all my heart that God show me the new way to live.” She smiles. “Everything has worked out better.”

The couple began to look into options with Habitat for Humanity Guatemala, which they had heard about from a friend. “We had this plot of land, and we were interested to see how to use it with Habitat.” Alina explains. “My husband went to visit the organization, and we decided to try it out and see how it would go. It was a quick process. Within six weeks, we had confirmation that they were going to build.”

The new house is much more comfortable for both Alina and her husband. It keeps them warm during the chilly mornings and has much more space for Alina to plant flowers upon flowers. Most importantly, it allows them to host their four grandchildren for special visits. Alina’s eyes sparkle when describing this new change to her life. “My grandchildren are happy to play here. They love to visit me, it’s something that we both look forward to. They can bring their kites to fly over the countryside.” She brings us to a small field that looks out over to Quetzaltenango’s rolling hills and volcanoes in the distance. It is easy to imagine children darting around in the grass and playing to their heart’s content.

Her final reflections? “We are happy and very grateful. This is a privilege that we could have never imagined. Thanks to God, we have these types of organizations that serve to help others. Thank you for the help and support.”