Welcome to Photo Friday! Each Friday, we share photo collections of our favourite shots from our sponsor sites around the world.
Each and every person deserves the comfort of a safe and secure home. For many families living in poverty, however, this basic human right is far out of reach. In communities surrounding our sponsor sites, we see families living in difficult situations. Some houses are unsafe and in disrepair, or lack appliances and furniture. Other times, families struggle to afford the high cost of rental properties. Some families don’t have homes at all, and are forced to shuffle between neighbors or relatives.
Thankfully, our dedicated donors selflessly support all sorts of incredible initiatives that help many of these families overcome these obstacles and achieve the dream of living in a secure and comfortable home. This week, we’re featuring our top 5 “comforting home” photos from our sites, so you can get a peek at some of these heartwarming stories for yourself!
#5: Mercy’s many home upgrades
Mercy, from our Serenje site in Zambia, is 13 years old and in grade eight. She lives with her mom, dad, and five siblings! Mercy has been sponsored since pre-school. Without her sponsor’s support, Mercy’s dad explains that they would be unable to afford to send her to school.
Mercy’s sponsor has been very generous with the family by sending gifts of special money, which has allowed them to dramatically improve their previously dire living situation. They’ve been able to get connection to the electrical grid and have since gotten a fridge, a sewing machine, some minor household renovations. Eventually, they plan to build a new small home on the land next to their current home for more space for the large family!
#4: Sanna’s dream accomplished
Sanna lives with his wife and children in a village near our Bangalore site in India. He works as an auto-rickshaw taxi driver, a tiresome and difficult job, while his wife does daily labour jobs. The family had only enough money for daily needs, and their biggest challenge was rent. Sanna owns a small piece of land and dreamed of building his own home on it.
With the help of Chalice supporters, he was able to make that dream a reality! He built a beautiful home for his family. “I never thought, I could make this happen to have a house for my wife and children,” says Sanna. “I can see the smile and happiness on the face of my children. My wife feels proud of me and has respect for me. I am so grateful.”
#3: Mariela’s quiet space
18-year-old Mariela lives with her parents and six siblings in Paraguay, and has been sponsored for 11 years! Her generous sponsor sends her special money frequently, which Mariela has saved with a purpose in mind; to construct her own room onto the family home to have a quiet space to sleep and study while in university. Her father and brother are well qualified for the job. Mariela and her whole family are deeply grateful to her sponsor, who has brought about significant improvements to the entire family’s quality of life over the past decade.
#2: Djivenson’s slow and steady progress
Djivenson, from our Haiti North site, lives with his parents and three siblings. They currently rent a home, but they’ve been working slowly on their dream: this new house they’re building themselves! Many families in Haiti take a gradual approach to homebuilding, completing portions of work as funds become available.
Thanks to the hard work and dedication of students and staff in the Regina Catholic School Board, many families like Djivenson’s are able to complete new, safe houses they can feel secure in. Djivenson will now have a safe place to study and pursue his ambition to become an agronomist!
#1: Olena’s window to hope
Olena has spent her life longing for a safe, warm home to call her own, as she was constantly moving as a child. Now, as mother of two young children, she found herself on her own and in desperate need for a house in the middle of winter. Fortunately, she found one, but the windows were rotten. They were difficult to open, and Olena had to insulate them herself with cotton and tape.
She was thrilled when a kind gift catalogue allowed her to install new windows, which are easy to use and keep the home warmer. “Dear donor, I thank you with all my heart for your help,” she says. “We will keep you and your family in our prayers.”
Follow Chalice on Facebook and Instagram for daily updates from our sponsor sites, impact stories, and more! Be sure to check back next week for another Photo Friday.