The Book Fair Materials Donated to a Needy Family

As you may remember, last year after the big book fair, the materials from the building itself was donated to a needy family to remodel their home.  Last year, the family had three children and was living in a one bedroom home.  So the donated materials allowed them to add an additional room and a place where the wife has started a beauty parlor – a great way to help folks be self-sustaining. 

Here we are in front of the building.

This year, the materials went to a much more needy family who only had one room and a very leaky roof.  About 30 local Church members arranged for the take-down of the building and then making the additions to their home, but it was awhile before we were able to go see the finished product.

Here are the four men taking the building apart.

This sweet family with three children doesn’t live on a street but down a dirt path like many impoverished folks here.  The husband drives a delivery truck which means he may earn a few dollars a day.The metal roof now keeps the water out of the house – before the floor turned to mud every time it rained, and there are three little bedrooms for the kids and the parents.

   

The Martinez home is right behind us - this is the path that you take
to get there, which opens into kind of a neighborhood courtyard,
surrounded by four or five houses.

Such fun to just play in the dirt, right?  Better not to wear a lot
of clothing or there's more washing to do! 

Here's their front door made out of corrugated tin.

A building wall.

The washing machine is outside.

A neighbor was washing some things in a big tub.  As you look
at the previous pictures with the dirt courtyard, it's understandable
why the water was just filthy as she tried to get things clean.

The clothes then get hung outside to drive.  You can see 
the walls of other buildings

A cute little neighrbor child was just out sitting on a chair 
with two others to keep her in - such a happy little soul!

Here are Brother and Sister Martinez.  She got so emotional when she talked
about how grateful she is for the new walls and ceiling.  By the way, do you notice
his shirt?  It says "Woody's Taxidermy", and Alaska.  Many, many folks wear
shirts that have been donated from the States.  It's kind of funny to see grown
men wearing shirts that say "Adam's Elementary" or something on them.  More
about these in another post....

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Before we left, we happened to look up at the trees growing nearby.  There was a guanabana and a star fruit tree.  How neat that they were able to grow fruit to supplement their income.