Sylvanie and Odalis anxiously await the day they will move their family of 7 into their new home. Significant progress has been made since the the location was marked and they helped to dig trenches for the foundation. It is a dream in the process of coming true.
Until that happens, they still live in their current home made of scrap wood and tin sheets. This household faces significant challenges in terms of income, food security, education, health, and living conditions, indicative of severe poverty and limited access to basic needs and services.
Current Conditions
Current Home
Sylvanie and Odalis live with their family of 7 in a small home made from scrap materials. When we first spoke with them about their home, they indicated it did not feel safe especially when winds or rains come.
Dirt Floors and Meager Possessions
The family does their best to keep their few belongings off the dirt floor. When rain comes, water drips through holes in the roof and runs into the house from outside, creating muddy puddles.
A Simple and Unsanitary Kitchen
Cooking is primarily done with wood, and the kitchen is a small firepit outside. There is no water source at their home, so drinking water comes from an arm pump some distance away, but it’s not stored safely.
Lack of Sanitation an Issue
Toilet facilities are non-existent, so members of the family use a hole dug in the ground in the vegetation at the edge of the property instead. Waste management is problematic, with waste thrown outside the house.
Hope is on the Way
When the home is complete, Sylvanie, Odalis, and their children will be safe and secure in a home with a solid, raised concrete foundation. A sturdy roof, secured with hurricane straps, will keep them dry. An indoor bathroom, using water collected from rainfall, will dramatically improve sanitary conditions, and a kitchen nook will keep food preparation off the ground. They will enjoy significantly more space with a living area, two private bedrooms, and a covered porch.
Mapping out the foundation
Construction begins
Foundation of a home – Foundation of change
Bricks laid to form the house
Layer by layer the home comes to life
Silvany looks forward to move in day
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