Don Gregorio and Doña Catalina
Written by: Franco
Our team
woke up bright and early and made our way to Don Gregorio’s home to help with
the construction of his new home. When we arrived we were taken aback by all of
the people that were already working. It’s as if everyone knew their assigned
tasks. We observed workers measuring different angles, while others carried
rocks and chipped them into smaller stones. Others carried wood and cut it into
smaller sizes. Women could be seen in the background preparing breakfast and
lunch. They smiled and laughed with one another as they made tamales, cooked
meat, and atole (Guatemalan beverage). Even children could be seen helping however
they could trying to simulate the older men working.
From up close,
things seemed a bit chaotic, dust everywhere, loud sounds, rocks being chipped,
people yelling instructions, and children laughing. From a distance, everything
seemed perfectly orchestrated and in rhythm. The construction had a certain flow
and our team quickly integrated themselves into the stream of things.
Diana, Olivia, and
Aldo from our US team, Alfredo, Onecimo, and Flori from our sister team here in
Guatemala, they formed a chain and were carrying heavy rocks used for Don
Gregorio’s foundation. As I took pictures of our teammates and other community
members volunteering their time to help Don Gregorio and his wife build their
home, I felt we had all arrived to some sort of destination. The destination
being kindness, perhaps. Kindness blossomed into helping our fellow human
brothers and sisters regardless of race, color, religion, or any other human
made labels. For several hours we were all united as one for the single purpose
of helping Don Gregorio and his wife have a place to live.
Reflecting on this
experience, there isn’t any uncertainty that Project Humanitarian Efforts
Lifting the Lives of Others (HELLO) is making a difference in Sibinal. In the
past, I have often asked myself if our humanitarian efforts are leaving a
lasting impression. Are we really a small catalyst for change in Sibinal? Yes, because
after four years of humanitarian work in this region we observed a whole
community finally come together and help one another. The ripple effect an act
of kindness can have in a community can hopefully extend to other regions in
Guatemala. In that I find the strength to continue working one more day.
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Doña Senaida
Written by: Franco
Walking into Doña
Senaida’s kitchen I ask her how she’s doing since I last saw her a few months
ago. She turns to face me after setting a pot of tamales down on her wood
burning stove and with a big grin on her face she replies, “Initially, I didn’t
think help would come. I thought my cement floor was another lie, but it is
finally here!”
A few months ago,
our team had assessed Doña Senaida’s needs. At first, she had seemed reluctant to
share information about herself which is understandable. After gaining some
rapport she shared her story, which unfortunately, resonates with many women
living in Sibinal. A hard working, single mother of three children. One of them
being a special needs child. Doña Senaida often immigrates to Mexico to find
work so she can buy food, clothing, and pay for her children’s education.
Today, as we observed,
helped, and finished Doña Senaida’s cement floor, she was all smiles. She told
us how other organizations had promised to help her, but the help had never arrived.
Over time, she had stopped believing and had lost hope. Thanks to donations
from the US, Doña Senaida and her family are recipients of a cement floor. This
time, the promise was kept and became a reality.
To find out about
Project HELLO and how you can help visit https://www.projecthello.club/
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