wherewework
Guatemala
It was nearly 4 a.m. and the Hartman House team had just touched down at the La Aurora International Airport in Guatemala City. Our team was headed to present an eagerly awaiting family with a new home. A shuttle pulled up so we began loading our luggage and the seven wheelchairs we brought with us. Not even leaving the airport grounds, Juan Bonilla, Hartman House Committee Chair, turned around and spotted a man on a skateboard. The man had no legs, was selling pencils to make a living, and had tied himself to the skateboard to get around. We immediately unloaded a wheelchair as Juan approached the man and told him "I'm going to make your day." The man looked up as Juan continued "We have a wheelchair for you, do you want it?" At once the man began crying and simply replied "Yes." A small crowd began to form as Juan picked him up and placed him in his new wheelchair. A woman nearby translated his words as he cried "This is the best day of my life. I always prayed that I would get a wheelchair one day!"

Hartman House focuses on three primary initiatives in Guatemala:

  • Building Homes
  • Donating Wheelchairs & Walkers
  • Supplying Food & Clothing

 

THE FACTS

Among the ten poorest countries in Latin America, over half the population in Guatemala lives in poverty. Guatemala’s income distribution is among the most unequal in the world. As a result, the mass 75% of the population is pushed to the outskirts of the land and forced to make ends meet in highly undeveloped lands. All of this accumulates to even bigger problems with the lack of proper health care, horrible living conditions, minimum access to good land, and unequal disbursements of wealth. Hundreds of thousands of poor rural workers are trapped in a poverty net where, no matter how hard they work, it is nearly impossible to improve their financial situations and provide for their families. With a need of 1.6 million houses, many Guatemalans live in self-made shacks  and overly crowded rooms with no gas, electricity, or running water.

HOW WE HELP

Build Homes: This is where we come in. Hartman House's objective in Guatemala is to build as many homes for disadvantaged families as possible. With a home these families can send their children to school rather than having to go work, and by work we mean, having them sell random items on the streets daily. Children are also found to work within these five industries, including firecracker production, domestic services in private homes, agricultural work, mining & quarrying, and garbage picking - all very dangerous and physically waring jobs for a child.

Homes cost anywhere from $10,000-$15,000 based on the size of the family and areas in which they must be built. The homes are built to last, made of cinder block, fully furnished, and supplied with a working bathroom, electricity, and gas. It truly is a life changing experience for the families and one in which many have never dreamed of.

Donate Wheelchairs & Walkers: In Guatemala, the disabled are basically placed in a corner and forgotten. Health care in the country is very poor with more than 40% of the population having no access to it. One way we are working to solve this problem is by providing immediate assistance through wheelchair and walker giveaways. Sometimes it takes hours of driving and miles of walking to reach the wheelchair recipients. There is no way of contacting these individuals other than through word of mouth, so it is always a huge surprise when we arrive. When you are sitting in your house thinking it is going to be another day of not walking, not being able to go outside, and having to sit in the same position all day, there is nothing more joyous than the arrival of several strangers there to encourage and bless you with a wheelchair.

Do you have a used wheelchair or walker that you no longer use? Donate it to Hartman House.

Food & Clothing Giveaway: Every time we make a trip to Guatemala we always come fully equipped with clothing and food. We purchase the food while in the country and package as many meals as we can to give to the people. Our team finds a central location where the families can find us. Some must walk for miles, the majority of them being mothers, grandmothers and children. People line up hours ahead of time just to retrieve one bag of food and some clothes for their children. Whether the kids are receiving a pair of socks or a comb, they treat every item as if it were gold. Being able to supply these families with food and clothes is a great outreach. Help us continue to feed and clothe families in Guatemala. Every little bit helps.

$5 can feed an entire family in Guatemala.
 


Hartman House works in developing nations and the United States. Where there is a need - we find it. As it turns out, helping others takes hard work and a lot of it, but we are determined to make a change. We currently work in 4 countries: Guatemala, Haiti, Africa, and the United States. This is only the beginning. We hope to continue adding more locations in the future, but in order to do so we need your help. Click your country of interest to find out which programs take place there.