The Cuy Family
On a rainy Wednesday afternoon, Amelia Cuy is filled with joy. Sitting with her hands quietly folded in her lap, her eyes shine as she speaks with confidence about her newest acquisition: a Habitat for Humanity Guatemala home. “With the house, we are all grateful, with God, with the help that the organization gave us, because without them, we wouldn’t have had the opportunity to build it,” she says. “And we wouldn’t have had the opportunity to meet new people. I carry them in my mind and in my heart.”
In her new kitchen, a Canadian flag drapes over the windowsill, a lingering memory of the international volunteers that spent one week building her home. Amelia knows that they are a special group of people that she will not soon forget. “We got along well with the group. They were happy, and what I liked is that I met new people each day,” she recollects. “They supported us greatly, and I am grateful to them for helping me build my own house.”
Two days ago, Amelia, her husband Gerardo, and their two-year-old son, Israel, began the move. Before, they were living with Amelia’s parents, Froilan and Roselia, as well as her six siblings, a few hundred meters up the road. However, their situation was less than ideal. “There was a room for all of us, and definitely not enough space,” describes Amelia. “We were looking to have a new house of our own, and for that reason, we moved.”
Little by little, Amelia’s family has been helping her relocate. Echoes of voices and scrapes of furniture on the floor permeate through her home. The first stages of a water filter sit on the front wall, on their way to being assembled and placed permanently in the kitchen. “We are just starting out and moving in,” Amelia says, meandering through clusters of furniture in boxes. “We want to put down a garden, paint the walls, and in the future, decorate a room for the baby. Still finding places to put one thing versus another thing.”
However, she embraces the changes that her new home has already brought her. “I’m very happy here. We have more space and our own daily routine. Above all, here I feel happy to have my house and something to call my own.”
From the very beginning, Amelia’s parents have supported her throughout the journey. “My parents had told me that there was an organization that supported families with affordable housing,” she says gratefully. “I didn’t have a job at the time, so my parents stepped in with their support, and we pay everything together.”
As for the team that supported her, Amelia is grateful. “I’m well and happy in the new house,” she says. “Thank you for the support. We love you a lot, and we are waiting for you to return. Our door is always open.”
