In May 2022, I worked hand-in-hand with my college to have Proyecto Esperanza be shared with the community of students, teachers, and alumni of UCONN. Below is a link to a video and article about the project. Thank you to all who made this possible.
About Me
Hello everyone! My name is Iris Cassandra Palencia and when I began this project I was writing to you from San Pedro Carcha, Guatemala! Thank you for visiting my page and for your interest in helping my project become a reality. I am a recent graduate from the University of Connecticut and majored in Allied Health Sciences. I live in Fairfield, CT and my parents were born and raised in Guatemala. I went to Guatemala to immerse myself in the culture and to help the community in any way I can, while also continuing my virtual classes. I have always been a wanderlust person, striving for ways to lend a helping hand.
What is Project Hope?
Project Hope began as my parents' dream - to help the people of Guatemala. Project Hope has successfully built two homes for two different families in Guatemala. For the homes, we build two bedrooms, kitchen, dining/living room, and a front and back porch, with an estimated cost of $5,500 per home (was $4800 when the project began). Thankfully, we have also been able to construct a latrine, buy a washing station and furnish the homes.
With your continued contributions and support, we hope to be able to continue building new homes for more families.
Please Venmo the following username:
Proyecto-Esperanza
Before vs. After
Projects
Walter, Marta, Neymar, and Edison.
Guatemala is the most populous country in Central America. An estimated 45-60% of the population is indigenous and approximately 54% of the total population lives in poverty. The average family income is $7/day, according to the World Bank. Guatemala suffers from a serious housing crisis. Many families live in one room homes with dirt floors, no running water or electricity. This is the case for the family I’m going to introduce you to.
This loving and welcoming family live in Esperanza Seubuh, Guatemala. Left to right: Maria (sister of Marta), Marta (mother), Edison (youngest son), Walter (father) and Neymar (eldest son).
Getting to know the Family
I got to know Walter when I helped my uncle drop off materials at a house in Esperanza Seubuh. When I first met Walter, he was constructing a house and Neymar was off to the side sweeping. Walter is a hard working construction helper. He is new to this job and does not get paid the same amount as his coworkers. Walter gets paid 350 Quetzales weekly, which is equivalent to 45.22 US dollars, and is temporarily employed. Marta stays at home with Edison and prepares the meals with her sister Maria. Marta (24) and Walter (27) are raising two boys, Edison (1 & 1/2 years old) and Neymar (6). My uncle knew their current living conditions and introduced them to me. After talking to Walter, Andrea (my cousin) and I decided to take a look at Walter's home. From his worksite, we climbed a steep and muddy hill and walked down a long, narrow, and twisty path to their home. We grabbed onto trees and branches to prevent us from slipping, and stepped over barbed wire that marked their property. We arrived at their home and were introduced to the rest of the family.
Neymar
Neymar is an eager boy who loves to play soccer and play with his friends. He frequently accompanies his dad to work. I recently taught Neymar how to high-five or "chocales" in Spanish. Neymar is not attending school due to COVID-19. Although schools are remote for the moment, Neymar's family has no electricity, preventing Neymar from continuing to attend his school.
Les agradezco mucho su ayuda y su cosideración al tomar en cuenta a mi familia yo solo pude cursar hasta tercer grado y mis posibilidades de opatar a empleos son muy bajas y la situación laboral en mi país no me favorece. Quiero decirles que valoro mucho su trabajo y su aporte." - Walter
I want to thank you so much thinking of my family and for your help and your consideration. I was only able to attend school up to third grade and my chances of getting jobs are very low, and the employment situation in my country does not favor me. I want to tell you that I value your work a lot and your contribution. - Walter
Living Conditions
This four person family lives in a one room house where they cook, eat and sleep. The "letrina" is located outside.
Inside the House
The kitchen is in a corner of the one room house. In the photo you can see Maria cooking up some delicious tortillas. There is very limited room for cooking and for prepping (such as cutting vegetables). The stove is made of rock and they cook by placing wood properly underneath, and then lighting it with matches. They eat their meals on a small, slanted wooden table that has only two chairs, forcing the boys to sit on their parents' lap or sit on the bed. Their "pantry" is assembled by wood and holds all of their kitchen plates, bowls, and any food seasoning. They do not own utensils. Since they do not have running water, they collect rain. When there is no rain they walk to the closest stream to wash their clothes, shower and collect water to bring home. The family shares one bed and they sleep on a thin mattress elevated by four poles buried into the ground. They only own a small wardrobe and the rest of their clothing is piled up in a corner of the room.
Mission
After getting to know Walter's family and seeing their house, I would like to help them and be there for them. Shelter is a basic human necessity and they deserve to have a safe, warm house to call their home. After discussing with the family, we decided to build a three room house made of concrete block and rebar, with concrete floors and a roof with galvanized sheets. It will be secure and warm. The three rooms would be divided into 2 bedrooms and a kitchen/dining room. It would also include a clean burning stove to reduce smoke and consumption of wood. As you know, resources and labor cost money and I hope you are willing to lend a helping hand and make an unforgettable impact in this family's life.
How Can You Help?
Please Venmo me at Proyecto-Esperanza in order to help with the costs of manual labor and materials. Any and all contributions are greatly appreciated!
Venmo: Proyecto-Esperanza
Please title your payment Project Hope.
You can reach me by email or text if you have any questions or would like to learn more about Project Hope.
Email: Iris__palencia@hotmail.com
Phone #: (203) 970-4295
BLOG
I will be uploading photos and updates daily! I am looking forward to hearing from all of you and beginning Project Hope. The first family is done! Scroll down to see the second family:)
Hello Everyone! On behalf of Walters' family, I want to deeply thank you all for your prompt responses and generosity towards Proyecto Esperanza. I personally am enlightened and beyond happy by the response we received. In addition to the donations, I hope you all received some insight on how the majority of people live here. I find it very important to not only promote our project to reach our fund goal, but to educate and advocate poverty levels and living conditions in Guatemala. I also want to thank all my family members, my parents, my brother Julio, my uncle Jary, and my cousins Andrea and Geovany for helping me along the way. An additional side note I have to add is that I am working hand in hand with Dana Cofsky in order to raise funds for purchasing clothes, mattresses, bedding, tables, chairs, and toys! I am glad to say we have started moving materials to the home of Walter and his family. Additionally, Andrea and I have lent a helping hand in setting up the perimeter of the new house. This included Andrea using a hoe to rake out weeds, rocks and to break up the soil. The soil in this region consists of mud and clay, therefore it is very time consuming and heavy. I helped the father of Walter with moving big rocks as he used a pickaxe to break large boulders of rock.
Hello once again! I have many images and a video to share with you today over the work of these past 2 days! We have demolished the old home and are now working on constructing the new home. Andrea and I helped remove loads of soil from the working area.
We have also started to move materials from the side of the road to Walters' home. Geovany, Marta, Neymar, and Vicente (the father of Walter) and I carried blocks of cement, sand and construction aggregate.
¡Buenas Tardes!
We have started to construct the new house this week. I have been stopping by every other day and helping carry materials to the worksite. In addition to the help from Walter and Martas' family, we have 3 "albañiles" or stonemasons/builders who are in charge of laying the brick for the new house. Their names are Abraham, Benjamin, and Julio.
Over this past week and weekend, there has been a lot of hard work and progress! We have been rapidly constructing the new home block by block.
As each day passes, the more and more the house comes together. Seeing the continuous and diligent work from everyone has been a true blessing. A friend of mine wrote to me about how reading the blog has been so beautiful and fulfilling to witness. I am beyond happy that there has been an ongoing amount of people reading the blog, seeing the progress and enjoying my photos. I spoke to Walter this last time I went to Esperanza Sehubub, and he does not have the words to express his gratitude for each and everyone of you. The two boys, Edison and Neymar, keep eagerly asking Walter when they can move into their new home. We are hoping to finish soon:)
Hello everyone! This week some family members came down to Guatemala and visited the worksite! Here are more photos of the house, we are very close to finishing it up!
A quick update on the progress of this week! My uncle and I purchased the furniture for the new house. We shopped at local stores in order to help the people of the community rather than a large chain company. Also, the roof was installed! We are working on finishing touches such as windows, doors, painting, and cleaning up.
Thank You
I imagine you all are eager to see the photos/videos of the house, but first let me express my gratitude for helping Walter and his family. This project was a team effort and we cannot thank you enough for all of your support and kind words. Walter and Marta cannot express their gratuity for all of you. They cannot believe how blessed they are to have a new, beautiful, and comfortable home. They never imagined living in a home like this. Many tears of happiness were shed and hugs were shared at the inauguration of the house. Thank you all for your contributions and ongoing love.
Personal Thank You
I have many people to thank, specifically 60+ people/families. First, thank you to the workers that put in the time and physical labor. The men who constructed the home are hardworking and motivated workers who must be applauded for their accomplishment and work. Second, to my family members: Tia Johana, Tio Jary, Andrea, Geovany, Kaylee, Julio, Mom and Dad. Tio Jary was in charge of purchasing and transporting the materials, as well as coordinating with all of the workers. Tia Johana helped in choosing local stores to purchase furniture, kitchen supplies, and bedding. Andrea was my co-blogger and lent a helping hand in physical work. Geovany was my motorcyclist driver and photographer. Julio and Teah have helped me in the publishing of this website. Kaylee, Mom, and Dad are my biggest supporters. They gave me an endless amount of advice and support. Another huge thank you to Dana Cofsky and Mrs. Cofsky. Dana took leadership in raising funds for the furniture, clothing, toys, school supplies, and bedding. Thank you both for going above and beyond for Project Hope, and for making a greater impact in this family's life.
Thank you to all those who have donated:
Enrique Alarcon, Erika and Ruso Alarcon, Valeria Alarcon, Nelson Aldana, Rosa Alicea, Melissa Brunetti, Carlos and Elena Carballo, Erenia Cassiano, Ruth Chiles, Beth and Larry Cofsky, Bobby Morange and Sandra Cuellar, Cristian and Viviana Cuellar, Jennifer Cuellar, Jessenia Davila, Jonathan and Erica Davis, Donna and Tom DeLitto, Jerrold and Marcia Dolinger, Michele Even, Justine Fellows, Adrienne Friedman, Allison Friedman, Megan Friedman, Nick Genovese, Mark and Annemarie Hughes, Matt Hughes, Pamela and Luis Juarez, Alexis Kennedy, Kimberly and Jordan Levy, Victoria and Dmitri Liakh, Audra Logan, Michelle Miller, Isaac Molinari, Ronni and Gioel Molinari, Monroe Women’s Club, Lane Murphy, Gary and Cheryl Needell, Alyssa Noh, Aura Ortega, Lupita Ortega, Cesar and Iris Palencia, Julio Cesar Palencia, Telma Palencia, Sharon and Josh Polan, Heather Redwood, Jennifer Redwood, Jonathan Redwood, Nalini Ramdass, Carol and Anton Rice, Adena Russel, Richard and Emily Saltzman, Demetrio Sanchez, Teah Selkin, Julianne Seymour, Olivia Seymour, Addison and Alisson Sherman, Jane and Steve Sherman, The Gooding Family, The Greens Family, The Russel Family, Igor and Victoria Tsyganskiy, Noel Velaj, Emma Whidden, Sophie Whidden.
Photo Dump Time!
We arrived extra early to set up, furnish the house, and surprise the family!
We had the entire family gather in celebration. Geovany captured Walter and his family's reactions as they entered their new home! The boys were so excited and happy with their new room, beds, clothing, school supplies, and toys. Marta and Walter cried tears of joy for their new home. We shared a meal in their home that consisted of pizza and soda. Marta surprised us by making her homemade "Kak Ik," or turkey soup. It was delicious!
But That's Not All!
As we say goodbye to Walter, Neymar, Edison, and Marta, another door opens! I am so excited to announce that, in response to the number of people interested in donating, we have decided to start a new project. Please continue to share Proyecto Esperanza and donate if you can!
Now, I would like to introduce you to the new family.
Mission
Once again, shelter is a basic human necessity and they deserve to have a safe, warm house to call their home. After discussing with the family, we have decided to build a three room house made of concrete block and rebar, concrete floors, and a roof with galvanized sheets. It will be secure and warm. The three rooms will be divided into 2 bedrooms and a kitchen/dining room. It will also include a clean burning stove to reduce smoke and wood consumption. In contrast to Walter's home, this house will have a triangle shaped roof! As you know, resources and labor cost money and I hope you are willing to lend a helping hand and make an unforgettable impact in this family's life.
Venmo: Proyecto-Esperanza
Label Venmo Payment: Project Hope
Living Conditions
This four person family live in a two bedroom house made of wood and metal sheets. They all sleep on one bed that is made of wooden stilts and a wooden platform. Blankets are used for comfort and cushion. They have hung up plastic bags to prevent bugs, mud, and wind from entering their home. They cultivate their own food, such as: frijoles, tomatoes, corn, and bananas.
Outside Views
Bathroom
The "letrina" is outside. It is made of wood and is held up by branches.
Inside the House
Trash bags separate the "rooms."
Kitchen Area
The kitchen is outside and shielded by trash bags. In addition, they own a water tank that collects water from the roof when it rains.
About Ovidio
Ovidio is super happy and energetic 11 year old. Ovidio has experienced stunted growth due to malnutrition. Like many other kids in Guatemala, he did not receive enough nutrients for optimal growth. Ovidio loves nature and people. He likes to paint and draw. His favorite colors are blue and orange. In his free time he loves to play soccer, swim in nearby rivers, and adventure in caves with his dad. His favorite subject is science but due to COVID-19, he is not attending school and cannot attend virtually.
Blog
I will be uploading photos and updates weekly!
Welcome back to the blog! We have started to work on the new home for our new family. Unlike the last house, this house will be constructed in a shorter time span. The family is very excited and emotional for their new home. Enjoy the work in progress photos and videos.
Highly encourage you all to watch Ovidio and my uncle dance because of all the joy and hope!
Week 4: Ovidio has been an additional helper in constructing his home. He eagerly jumped into helping his dad mix cement and bring materials from the road. The construction workers have been working from dawn to dusk daily in order to finish the house promptly. I love seeing the motivation and hard work of all the people included in this project.
Week 5: Hello everyone! This week we decided to surprise the parents of Walter (from the previous house) with a new bed! The father, Vincent, helped construct Walters home and we thought he deserved his own bed for his hard work. We (luckily) surprised them on the day they finished planting their corn crop and were celebrating. They gave us Tak Ik and showed us their home.
Week 5: Ovidio and his family's home is coming together!
Thank You
Once again, thank you for all your contributions, support, and kind words. We are very blessed to have such a committed group of donors and workers. We have finished building the second home for Proyecto Esperanza, and we could not be happier with the new home and the everlasting smiles.
Special thank you to the Molinari family for their support and help in purchasing and sending clothing, bedding, toys, and school supplies.
Thank you to our returning donors and new donors!
The Russell Family, the Sherman Family, Elena and Carlos Carballo, Emily Sorrells, The Block Family, Rony Molina, Erenia Cassiano, and Demetrio Sanchez.
Inauguration of the Second Home!
We have finished the second home! My brother and I unfortunately had to leave before the house was finished, but we had the opportunity of hosting a (pre)inauguration. We brought customized t-shirts, pizza, drinks, and warm smiles. The house was finished four days later! Please enjoy the photos and videos of Ovidio and his family's reactions to their new home, furniture, clothing, and toys.
So What is Next?
Project Hope began as my parents' dream - to help the people of Guatemala. Project Hope has successfully constructed two homes for two different families in Guatemala. For each home, we built two bedrooms, kitchen, dining/living room, and front and back porch, with an estimated cost of $5500 per home. We have also been able to build a letrina, buy a washing station, and furnish the homes.
With your continued contributions and support, we hope to be able to continue building new homes for more families.
Venmo: Proyecto-Esperanza
Please title payment: Project Hope
09/23/21 - I have created a flyer that I will begin to post in my hometown neighborhood and college community. If you would like the document sent to your email, contact me at (203) 970 - 4295!
New Family Introduction
Welcome back to returning donors and/or readers, and greetings to newcomers. We have raised enough funds to begin building a home for our third family. We greatly appreciate those who have contributed to our project and hope for more donations to continue helping families in need.
Our mission is to provide shelter and they deserve to have a safe, warm house to call their home. After discussing with the family, we have decided to build a three-room house made of concrete block and rebar, concrete floors, and a roof with galvanized sheets. It will be secure and warm. The three rooms will be divided into 2 bedrooms and a kitchen/dining room. It will also include a clean-burning stove to reduce smoke and wood consumption. As you know, resources and labor cost money and I hope you are willing to lend a helping hand and make an unforgettable impact in this family's life.
Please Venmo: Proyecto-Esperanza
Please title payment: Project Hope
The new family we are helping to construct a home for is a family of six: grandparents, parents, and two daughters. The grandma is blind and the grandpa has auditive problems.
The new family we are helping to construct a home for is a family of six: grandparents, parents, and two daughters. The grandma is blind and the grandpa has auditive problems.
Left to Right: Lorenzo (grandpa), Maria Teresa (grandma), Adela (mother), Matilde (youngest daughter), Carolina (oldest daughter), and Romualdo (father).
Who is doing the work in Guatemala?
Many of you may be wondering who is organizing and doing the work in Guatemala since I am no longer there. It is my uncle Jary, aunt Johana, and cousins Andrea, Kaylee, and Geovany. They are taking the photos, lending a helping hand, and interviewing the family. They have been a huge help in achieving Proyecto Esperanza's mission and we thank them for their willingness and work.
Outside Area
Latrine
Since they do not have an actual latrine, they have propped up a tarp on wooden sticks and that is their designated area.
Bedroom and Kitchen area
The kitchen consists of three homemade wooden tables for storage and cooking. The bedroom has two beds with very minimal to no comfort and warmth.
My cousin, Andrea, who lives in Carcha Guatemala put together an informative video about the family and included more photos of the progress!
More about the Family
The grandpa and father work as day laborers, when they can find a job they only make 10 Quetzales per day. The grandma lost her sight a few years ago and has not received any healthcare visit to find a reason, the probable cause is diabetes. Carolina could no longer attend school because of the lack of resources and Matilde is not attending school due to COVID. The corn they harvest is for themselves and they fatten two pigs a year to sell.
We have installed PVC pipes around the rooftops and bought a water tank to collect rainwater. This big improvement was included because the family had to walk 1.5 miles for water!
3rd House Inauguration
We are very excited to announce that we have finished building our third home just in time for the holidays. Special thanks to:
Emily Saltzman, Geraldine Cirella, Wegweiser Family, Jane & Steve Sherman, Hilda & Oscar Luna, Molinari Family, Carol & Anton Rice, Addison & Alisson Sherman, Erenia Casiano, Jerrold & Marcia Dolinger, Ashley Kovach, Jennifer Cuellar, Ana & Pablo Montenegro, Garrido Pineda Family, Elena & Carlos Carballo, Rosy Cuellar, Alex & Vanessa Cuellar, Violeta & Alex Reyes, Luz & Dementrio Aquino, Xique Cielo Family, Pineda Avila Family, Ruben Palencia, Mario & Lucy Oliva, Angel & Ana Montenegro, Jairo & Cristy Soto, Justa Juarez, Hugo & Brenda Catalan, Nelson & Maria Teresa Vargas, Cristian & Viviana Cuellar, Carlos & Brenda Grajeda, Erika & Russo Alarcon, Otto & Brenda Catalan, Estrella & Walter Mergoni, Paty & Alfredo Castillo, Renato & Tirza Monterroso, Iris & Cesar Palencia.
Thank you all for your generous donation and consideration for this family. Big thank you to my Tio Jary and family for their dedication and empathy to making this project work. We would also like to thank the workers for their hard work.
Photo dump #3
In May 2022, I worked hand-in-hand with my college to have Proyecto Esperanza be shared with the community of students, teachers, and alumni of UCONN. Below is a link to a video and article about the project. Thank you again to all who made this possible.