The Variescas Tañil Family
“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.
