Help 81-year old Elvia rebuild her home
Donation protected
The Story - 24 years ago, my husband and I adopted a beautiful boy from Honduras. In the process of getting the official paperwork done, we found ourselves in the situation of having to track down his biological family, which we did, with some difficulty. What we didn’t know was that in doing so, we were reuniting a long-lost daughter (our son’s biological mother), presumed dead, with her mother and siblings. A tragic story had come to an end, or so we thought.
Recently, after the hurricanes and floods that occurred in Honduras, we felt a strong urge to reconnect with this family and see if they were okay. Through the help of incredibly loving and generous friends, the family was tracked down. Their situation was indeed dire.
The People - The photo on the main page is of 81-year old Dona Elvia, biological grandmother to our son and woman extraordinaire. After discovering that her daughter - who had gone missing at the age of 18 and had been missing for 12 years - was alive, she immediately mobilized to see her. Her daughter, Rosa Emilia, had mental challenges that made it impossible for her to find her way back home after being abducted and dropped off in a mountain village only two hours away from her family home. She had been taken in by a man who became her non-legal husband. She had had many children and lived in deep poverty. Dona Elvia eventually took Rosa Emilia home to take care of her and her two toddlers, Manuel and Daisy.
Daisy, Rosa Emilia and Manuel. Photo taken in December, 2020.
The Situation - Honduras is one of the poorest countries in the world; it’s been hit by two devastating hurricanes; its educational system is weak to say the least; work is hard to find and pay is not enough to live on; violent gangs terrorise the people; COVID-19 has added to the misery and challenges already present.
When our friend Carmen went to check up on Dona Elvia and her family just before Christmas, she found them in urgent need of help. Rosa Emilia had had three brain operations because of a growing tumor that has left her partially paralyzed. She spends her days sitting and watching television. Manuel, now 24, has the mental capacity of a five year old child. He is unable to engage in life as a fully functioning adult. Daisy was taken in by her aunt who lives nearby. The burden of taking care of everyone and everything falls on the shoulders of 81-year old Dona Elvia, who has no work, no money and only love and determination to keep her going every day.
What we’ve done so far - The first plan of action was to get the family food and blankets, which they didn’t have (winters in the hills of Honduras can be very cold).
Then followed the demolition and rebuilding of Manuel’s small room - separate from the house - that was literally falling down on top of him and allowing mice and rats free reign in and out through all the holes created by the termite infested walls.
Beto, electrician and builder, working on Manuel’s room.
The old patchwork floor was replaced with a new cement floor.
A very happy Manuel in front of his new room.
We also bought Manuel a new bed. His, as you can see from the photo below, was broken. I don’t know how he managed to sleep on it at all!
Manuel’s new bed in his new room.
Another thing to know about Honduras is that most people do not have direct access to water. The water truck makes its rounds once a month in the neighbourhood. So, having enough storage space for a month’s worth of water is essential. Dona Elvia didn’t have nearly enough water storage for the needs of three people.
The two water barrels at Elvia’s house.
Water is life, and access to it is fundamental. We purchased a water tank that Beto, Carmen’s husband and our builder, also connected to the roof of Manuel’s little room in order to capture rainwater and extend the household’s water supply.
Next Steps - So, you’ve now met the family and you’ve seen what we’ve done so far. The next steps are more expensive and we thought it would be wonderful to give you, our family and friends, the opportunity to participate in helping make life easier and happier for Elvia, Rosa Emilia and Manuel. Because giving is receiving.
Project #1 : Rebuild Dona Elvia’s house -
It may seem like a daunting task but we’re not talking about a Canadian, European or American style house here. As you can see from the photo above, Elvia’s house is a simple wood house that would take a few weeks to build. And it really, REALLY needs to be replaced because it could fall at any moment. It’s built on a hill and held up with termite infested posts:
The walls and the beams holding the tin roof are also being gobbled up by termites:
The whole house is like this!
The situation is urgent. Beto says he can build a new house around the old house, so that Elvia and her family don’t have to move. They have nowhere else to go.
Estimated Cost - for the wood, nails, cement, transportation, labour, roof, floor, anti-termite paint, water capture, the estimate is around $4500 US.
Looking to the Future -
Project #2 : Repairing the Stairs going up to the House - Elvia’s house is on the side of a mountain. Everything there is a steep up or a steep down. The stairs leading to her little house were left unfinished and are very steep and perilously dangerous. We’ve asked Beto to give us a quote on what it would take to finish them properly, make them wider, less steep and put in a hand rail.
Project #3 : A Wheelchair for Rosa Emilia - When we saw the photo of what the family is using as a wheelchair for Rosa Emilia, we thought two things: “How ingenious!” and “They need a real wheelchair!!”.
Continued Support - We have committed to sending $100 US to our friend Carmen every month so that she can buy staples such as beans and rice, potatoes and eggs, for the family.
There are many other projects we could do to help this family become safer and more resilient, but let’s start where we begin. They are not, by any stretch of the imagination, the only people who desperately need help, but they have joined in our path in this life and we wish them joy, health, safety and wellbeing. We are grateful to them for they give us the opportunity to experience gratitude and generosity, and even love.
Any moneys received that go above and beyond the present needs to rebuild Elvia’s house will be used for Projects #2 and #3. Anything beyond that will go towards helping with Rosa Emilia’s medical needs, a diagnosis and potential support for Manuel and education for Daisy.
More photos -
The kitchen
Dona Elvia walking by Manuel’s new room.
Rosa Emilia 15 years ago.
Carmen, giving Dona Elvia money during her first visit in December.
We hope you will join us in bettering the lives of Elvia, Rosa Emilia, Manuel and Daisy. Thank you in advance for your generosity.
With gratitude,
Marie-Therese and Tom
Recently, after the hurricanes and floods that occurred in Honduras, we felt a strong urge to reconnect with this family and see if they were okay. Through the help of incredibly loving and generous friends, the family was tracked down. Their situation was indeed dire.
The People - The photo on the main page is of 81-year old Dona Elvia, biological grandmother to our son and woman extraordinaire. After discovering that her daughter - who had gone missing at the age of 18 and had been missing for 12 years - was alive, she immediately mobilized to see her. Her daughter, Rosa Emilia, had mental challenges that made it impossible for her to find her way back home after being abducted and dropped off in a mountain village only two hours away from her family home. She had been taken in by a man who became her non-legal husband. She had had many children and lived in deep poverty. Dona Elvia eventually took Rosa Emilia home to take care of her and her two toddlers, Manuel and Daisy.
Daisy, Rosa Emilia and Manuel. Photo taken in December, 2020.The Situation - Honduras is one of the poorest countries in the world; it’s been hit by two devastating hurricanes; its educational system is weak to say the least; work is hard to find and pay is not enough to live on; violent gangs terrorise the people; COVID-19 has added to the misery and challenges already present.
When our friend Carmen went to check up on Dona Elvia and her family just before Christmas, she found them in urgent need of help. Rosa Emilia had had three brain operations because of a growing tumor that has left her partially paralyzed. She spends her days sitting and watching television. Manuel, now 24, has the mental capacity of a five year old child. He is unable to engage in life as a fully functioning adult. Daisy was taken in by her aunt who lives nearby. The burden of taking care of everyone and everything falls on the shoulders of 81-year old Dona Elvia, who has no work, no money and only love and determination to keep her going every day.
What we’ve done so far - The first plan of action was to get the family food and blankets, which they didn’t have (winters in the hills of Honduras can be very cold).
Then followed the demolition and rebuilding of Manuel’s small room - separate from the house - that was literally falling down on top of him and allowing mice and rats free reign in and out through all the holes created by the termite infested walls.
Beto, electrician and builder, working on Manuel’s room.The old patchwork floor was replaced with a new cement floor.A very happy Manuel in front of his new room. We also bought Manuel a new bed. His, as you can see from the photo below, was broken. I don’t know how he managed to sleep on it at all!
Manuel’s new bed in his new room. Another thing to know about Honduras is that most people do not have direct access to water. The water truck makes its rounds once a month in the neighbourhood. So, having enough storage space for a month’s worth of water is essential. Dona Elvia didn’t have nearly enough water storage for the needs of three people.
The two water barrels at Elvia’s house.Water is life, and access to it is fundamental. We purchased a water tank that Beto, Carmen’s husband and our builder, also connected to the roof of Manuel’s little room in order to capture rainwater and extend the household’s water supply.
Next Steps - So, you’ve now met the family and you’ve seen what we’ve done so far. The next steps are more expensive and we thought it would be wonderful to give you, our family and friends, the opportunity to participate in helping make life easier and happier for Elvia, Rosa Emilia and Manuel. Because giving is receiving.
Project #1 : Rebuild Dona Elvia’s house -
It may seem like a daunting task but we’re not talking about a Canadian, European or American style house here. As you can see from the photo above, Elvia’s house is a simple wood house that would take a few weeks to build. And it really, REALLY needs to be replaced because it could fall at any moment. It’s built on a hill and held up with termite infested posts:
The walls and the beams holding the tin roof are also being gobbled up by termites:
The whole house is like this!The situation is urgent. Beto says he can build a new house around the old house, so that Elvia and her family don’t have to move. They have nowhere else to go.
Estimated Cost - for the wood, nails, cement, transportation, labour, roof, floor, anti-termite paint, water capture, the estimate is around $4500 US.
Looking to the Future -
Project #2 : Repairing the Stairs going up to the House - Elvia’s house is on the side of a mountain. Everything there is a steep up or a steep down. The stairs leading to her little house were left unfinished and are very steep and perilously dangerous. We’ve asked Beto to give us a quote on what it would take to finish them properly, make them wider, less steep and put in a hand rail.
Project #3 : A Wheelchair for Rosa Emilia - When we saw the photo of what the family is using as a wheelchair for Rosa Emilia, we thought two things: “How ingenious!” and “They need a real wheelchair!!”.
Continued Support - We have committed to sending $100 US to our friend Carmen every month so that she can buy staples such as beans and rice, potatoes and eggs, for the family.
There are many other projects we could do to help this family become safer and more resilient, but let’s start where we begin. They are not, by any stretch of the imagination, the only people who desperately need help, but they have joined in our path in this life and we wish them joy, health, safety and wellbeing. We are grateful to them for they give us the opportunity to experience gratitude and generosity, and even love.
Any moneys received that go above and beyond the present needs to rebuild Elvia’s house will be used for Projects #2 and #3. Anything beyond that will go towards helping with Rosa Emilia’s medical needs, a diagnosis and potential support for Manuel and education for Daisy.
More photos -
The kitchenDona Elvia walking by Manuel’s new room.Rosa Emilia 15 years ago.Carmen, giving Dona Elvia money during her first visit in December. We hope you will join us in bettering the lives of Elvia, Rosa Emilia, Manuel and Daisy. Thank you in advance for your generosity.
With gratitude,
Marie-Therese and Tom
Organizer and beneficiary
Marie-Therese Maurice
Organizer
Otterburn Park, QC
Thomas Hammond
Beneficiary