One thing leads to another...

It almost seems that the Voyage of the Misty Moonlight was in another lifetime but each day it is apparent that Misty is the gift that keeps on giving. First and foremost is the friendship and sisterhood that grew and continues to thrive. It is the grandest gift of all and has made my life more exciting than any bus ride in Guatemala (to date) or any moment of terror on a boat with two other people that don’t really know how to sail.

Somewhere, on a completely different level, is the chunk of money I received when we sold the boat. It was understood that the journey might not/would not return what was invested and if it did, we were dam lucky. I guess we got lucky and now, thanks to Misty, I am able to be a volunteer for Habitat for Humanity. Habitat pays my travel expenses while working, which includes food, lodging and all sorts of transport but I pay the rest. I am hopeful that the opportunity here in Guatemala will give insight into the international non-profit sector and possibly open some doors later.

So what do I do? Well, According to the manual they gave me, this is the description of my position, “ The profiles volunteer travels within Guatemala visiting families in their new Habitat homes. They are required to conduct a short interview with the family and take photos of the family in their new home to aid in the creation of reports for donor follow-up.”

That’s me, the profiles volunteer and work has started. Last Monday and Tuesday, I visited 12 finished homes in the Lake Atitlan area using panga, motorbike, tuk-tuk, bus, micro-bus, back of truck, and walking to get around. In each area that I go, there is a local promoter (who often has a motorbike) who takes me to the houses and often has a little beta on the families. I would be lost without him, as there aren’t really addresses or mapquest here,

During the interviews (in Spanish of course), I inquire the families about their previous living arrangements, which is often grim, as far as quality of the home or number of people in the home.  I ask about their experience with Habitat, why they wanted a new home and how it feels to have their own home, among other things. I take lots of photos, inside and outside, of the house. The information and photos are used for international donor relations and sent to the volunteers who came to help build the homes. It is quite amazing to hear the stories of these families and see how their quality of life has improved substantially through owning their own home. I have to write up reports of all the homes I visit and organize/edit the photos. Last but not least, I rest. Public transport really takes it out of you.

Habitat offers non-profit loans so families are able to build a home or improve the one they live in. The loan is paid back in a specified amount of time (usually 10 years). Habitat has been in Guatemala for over 30 years and built over 30,000 houses here.  For more information, check out the website: http://www.habitatguate.org/