Lorena and her family’s previous house, a dirt-floored lean-toLorena’s life has not been easy. Like many women in rural areas, she is a single mother with many family obligations. Before receiving a new home, she lived with her mother, daughter and her sister’s children while living in a one-room, rusted metal lean-to with dirt floors. She and her sister work very hard, but jobs are not always available and sometimes everyone is forced to go without food. When Lorena finds work, it is up to the children to take care of their grandmother, Margarita, who is homebound. For the children, attending school has not been an option.
When the Pan de Vida Church got to know Lorena and her situation, they began the process of helping her to build a new, adequate home. At first, Lorena said she was in awe. She never thought she would have a dignified house. Soon, however, her awe turned into industriousness and she dove into working alongside the church to prepare her home site. For many months, she cleared her plot of land, and because she is located on a steep slope where trucks can’t reach, she carried much of the materials such as soil, rock and sand, herself up the hill at night after returning home from work. When asked how she managed to shoulder that burden, Lorena said, “[My] strength is in the joy of hoping to have a beautiful home for my whole family!”
