Day 3: The Body of Humanity

Introduction 

"Language cannot capture the melody of a song; 

to understand it, you must see it with your own eyes."

                                                -Hua Hu Ching

In order to provide the best humanitarian effort, it is crucial both teams, Project HELLO and Generacion Magnificat, share opinions and points of view. Dialogue from both teams is key in understanding cultural differences in Sibinal and among team volunteers. 

Our sister team from Guatemala, Generacion Magnificat, wanted to share their perspectives of the interviews we conducted today. Today's blog is written by Eleazar, Fely, and Aldo in Spanish and translated and slightly modified into English.  

If you are moved to donate to our humanitarian campaign in Guatemala, visit: ProjectHello.club

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Fourth Family: Don Sergio and Doña Norma

Written by: Aldo 

We are on our second day of visiting the 15 selected families, the first family of the day was at Don Sergio's house. What a beautiful way to start the day. We were so happy to see how organized and clean their home was despite the fact they live in extreme poverty. In the past, their home has been affected several times by different natural disasters that have happened in Sibinal.

First, in 2005, hurricane Stan destroyed their home. In July of 2014, there was an earthquake that destroyed their home once again. Finally, in September 2017, another earthquake occurred which devastated their home; however, this family’s resilience is admirable. Their courage to not give up and continue in hope of a better future was exemplary to all of us.

Last year, three of their relatives were very sick. During our visit we were surprised to know that all three relatives had died. It has been a difficult time for Don Sergio and his family. Throughout the visit, our team assisted the family prioritize their needs. In December 2018, when our team is back again, Don Sergio and his family will receive a stove, all-purpose wash station, and a concrete floor for their home thanks to your donations. 

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Fifth Family: Doña Andrea

Written by: Eleazar 

A story of loneliness under a roof that harbors hope.

In a rural area of ​​Sibinal, in a house with a wooden wall and a laminated roof, with only one room she uses for her kitchen and to have her bed to rest, lives Doña Andrea. 

An elderly woman of 80 years who lives alone in her house as of August 2014 when her husband died (four years ago). A family story that began when Doña Andrea was 16 years old. She decided to marry her late husband, and as a result of this union, ten children were born: "four women and six men"; all of them (their children) already have a family now, which has led to the abandonment of Doña Andrea.

She is dedicated to the daily tasks around her home, raising chickens and sheep. Her neighbors generously help her plant and harvest a small amount of corn. Of course, the biggest difficulty for Doña Andrea is being able to work at her age to earn money and be able to buy food and medicine. As she held back tears she stated, "It is not easy being alone.”

Although she has a kitchen with a wood burning stove, when Doña Andrea runs out of wood without a family to help support her she is forced to buy it. In addition to being alone, several months ago she became ill and the medical costs have forced her to sell a small plot of land she owned to pay for her medical bills and medication.

Fortunately, she feels better now and says that her house is the only thing she has left. So, she wants to take care of it while she has health, strength and life. Despite the difficulties she has endured at her age, she still hangs on to her good sense of humor.

In order for her to live the rest of her years with dignity, your donations will be help Doña Andrea with an all-purpose wash station where she can wash her clothes and kitchen utensils. Her latrine will also be remodeled since the one she currently has is old and deteriorated.  

 

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Sixth Family: Don Inocente and Doña Valentina

Written by: Fely

Doña Valentina, a hard working woman!

Doña Valentina is 47 years old, married to Don Inocente, 48, and mother of two children, Ronald and Eleazar who are twins.

Don Inocente is living with a condition that is unknown which often causes him to lose his balance and fall. In 2003, when their children had just been born, Don Inocente suffered a fall that left him unconscious. Since then, he has had other head injuries over the years due to his loss of balance and unexpectedly losing consciousness. Do to the lack of economic resources, he was never been transferred to a medical center or treated for his head injuries. 

Doña Valentina’s physiological reaction and emotional distress were so severe, that she stopped producing milk for her newborn children. Two weeks after her children were born, they were fed with formula from a bottle, which is uncommon in this rural region of Guatemala.

Later that year, one of her sons began having seizures, Don Inocente and Doña Valentina were worried and took him to the doctor, but their son’s seizures did not improve for four years.

Several years ago, Mr. Inocente and Mrs. Valentina temporarily immigrated to Chiapas, Mexico to harvest coffee, leaving their children with Doña Valentina's parents for one year. Upon their return they made their own home in a land inherited by Don Inocente's father.

Because of her husband’s debilitating illness, Doña Valentina is the sole provider. She’s the one who has been working hard to give the best to her family. She washes other people's clothes and raises her own livestock, such as sheep, cows, horses and chickens. Then, she sells them for profit and uses the money to pay for her children’s education and some of the family’s basic needs.

In 2012, there was a strong earthquake which damaged their home by cracking the walls made of adobe. Again, in 2014, there was another strong earthquake that caused their house to fall. It was then that they had to relocate and build another home in a safer place which is where they currently live.

Doña Valentina sold her livestock to purchase the necessary material and built her family a house. She is a hard working woman who has pushed her family forward in the face of adversity. She is a woman who manages her resources well and has known how to invest her money wisely.

Doña Valentina and her family, thanks to your donations, will receive a cement floor for their home and an all-purpose wash station where she can wash clothes, dishes, and use as a water reservoir. Construction will begin in December 2018 when out team returns.