In July 2007, when we visited Panajachel and the people that Mayan Families was helping, I met a little girl at the school named Natalia. I don't know why but I liked her a lot. Some days later I went to her house and was very sad to see the place where she was living. It was just a small room, made with scraps of wood and cardboard. There were open spaces in between the boards and wind and rain entered the room. The floor was dirt. They had a makeshift bed with no mattress and a few other belongings, most of them donated. Natalia's mother was a single mother and her family had allowed her to make the room on the corridor of their house. She made beaded necklaces and bracelets and earned only 1 dollar per day. I took pictures of the room and when I got home I posted them on Natalia's page on the student's blog, hoping somebody would help them with a donation to buy more boards and maybe a bed.
Well, last night I received pictures to upload on the website and I was so happy to see pictures of the new house that was built for them by Natalia's school sponsors, the students of a Canadian school, and Mayan Families. The students and parents held many fundraisers to raise the money. The house has two rooms and a cement floor and I am sure it will keep them safe and dry. Seeing improvements like this in people's lives makes the work I do for Mayan Families so worthwhile.
This is the place where they used to live:
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