River of Life - Alvarado Valenzuela

Build Dates: 18-19 July, 2015

Family Information:

Father-Erick

• Age 25
• Profession: works in produce field
• Weekly Salary: 130 pesos x day

Mother- Esther

• Age 26
• Profession: works packing produce
• Weekly Salary: 140 pesos

Children-

• Eliza, 4

Property Information:

Colonia- Maneadero
Time with property-  7 months
Electricity- no
Running Water- no

Family Story:

Erick and Esther have been married for 5 years. From the beginning they rented a home but for Erick it was very hard to keep paying rent as his salary is very small. Esther's mother upon seeing their situation invited them to live with her, but her house is small and they slept in the kitchen. As time went on, these living conditions got harder and they began to have problems. . They lived two years and a half until they decided to buy some land on credit and build a house from second hand materials. Erick and Esther have a beautiful girl, Eliza, who is now 4 years old. Esther fell pregnant again but sadly lost the baby and they are trying to move forward. Erick and Esther work in a packing factory where their salary is 140 pesos daily and with this they pay off their land and try to cover all their home expenses. They asked for help with their home because for them it is hard to buy the materials and they don't have much time to build.

Blanchett - Modesto Ordunez

Build Dates: 14-15 July, 2015

Family Information:

Father- Alfredo

• Age 39
• Profession: driver
• Weekly Salary: 700 pesos

Mother- Maria

• Age 37
• Profession: factory worker
• Weekly Salary: 600 pesos

 

 

Children-

• Damaris, 14
• Daniel, 8
• Leslie, 5

Property Information:

Colonia- La Escondida
Time with property- 11 years
Electricity- yes
Running Water- no

Family Story

Alfredo and Maria have been married for 13 years. Damaris is not Alfredos biological child. Maria lived for a time with Damrais' father for a time, but he was a drug addict and went to a rehab centre in another town to try and get help, however he never returned. Later Maria married Alfredo and they had two more children together. They bought some land on credit and they paid for it together. They have lived on their land for 11 years. Their home is a small room, divided in two. It is made from pieces of old wood. Maria works part time in a sewing factory. She earns 600 pesos. Alfredo works at night as a driver of factory workers. HE does two trips in the night Monday to Friday and earns 700 pesos each week. He is only working this job until he can find something better. He works nights so that during the day he can come home during the day and look after the kids. For them it has been hard to build a better home because their salary is little and just covers food and the expenses of the home.

Mission Adventures Discovery Church Yellow - Covarrubias Benjamin

Build Dates: July 9-11, 2015

Family Information:

 

Father- Jose

• Age 22
• Profession: Construction assistant
• Weekly Salary: 1073 pesos

Mother- Brenda

• Age 21
• Profession: sells hamocks
• Weekly Salary: 400 pesos x 4 days

Children-

• Ivan, 3 and a half years old

Property Information:

Colonia- San Rafael
Time with property- 2 months 
Electricity- yes
Running Water- from a well

Family Story:

Jose and Brenda have been married for 5 years. They have never had their own home. From the time they got married they have been moving from one place to another, sometimes living with his parents, sometimes living with hers. Finally Jose' grandfather donated them some land so that they did not have to keep struggling and they have lived on this land for the last months. Jose built a small room from wood and they moved there and have lived there for the last 2 months. 2 weeks ago someone broke into their home and stole their stove while they were out working. Jose works as a construction assistant but this is not a steady job. He works by contract and when one job finishes he has to wait to find another job, so there are some days where he has no work. Brenda works with her dad 4 days a week and sells hamocks. She earns 100 pesos per day because there are days they don't sell anything. For them it is difficult to build a home because their income is small.

Mission Adventures Discovery Church Red - Cornelio Fernandez

Build Dates: July 9-11, 2015

Family Information:

 

Father- Horacio

• Age 35
• Profession: Factory worker
• Weekly Salary: 1100 pesos

Mother- Maria

• Age 34
• Profession:
• Weekly Salary:

Children-

• Nelson, 14
• Fernanda, 10
• Abigail, 2

Property Information:

Colonia- San Rafael
Time with property- 6 months
Electricity- No
Running Water- No

Family Story:

Horacio and Maria are originally from Tabasco, in the south of Mexico. They decided to move to Ensenada because in Tabasco there is a lot of crime. Horacio sold corn on the street and was threatened that if he did not pay a fee for selling on the street those threatening him would kill a member of his family. So they were scared and moved to Ensenada to feel safer. They had some savings which they used to buy a small plot of land here in Ensenada. But they moved in with his brother. His brother received a home from YWAM, so he donated his old home to Horacio and his family. This is where they currently live. They have 3 children, aged 14,10 and 2. Here Horacio is working in a factory and Maria looks after the kids. The house they are living in is very small, 10 feet by 10 feet and is in bad conditions - the walls have hols, the floor is dirt and the roof is a tarp. Horacio earns 1100 pesos each week and with this they have to cover all their household expenses and the schooling for their children.

Mission Adventures: ACF- Urrutia Bucio Family

Build Dates: June 25-26, 2015

Family Information:

Father- Manuel

• Age 50
• Profession: Fisherman
• Weekly Salary: $55.50

Mother- Maria

• Age 38
• Profession: Cares for Children
• Weekly Salary: $55.50

 

 

 

Children-

• Yajaira, age 18
• Juan, age 11, 6th Grade
• Luis, age 7, 2nd Grade
• Victor, age 4

Property Information:

Colonia- El Sauzal
Time with property- 6 years
Electricity- Yes
Running Water- Yes

Family Story:

Maria has four children; the first two are from her first husband, but he was a drunk & physically abusive. Maria was the one who had to work and provide for the family as he wouldn't. Maria left her first husband and went to live with her Mom, but he wouldn't leave her alone, so her Mom sent her to live with relatives in Ensenada.

Maria quickly found a job and sent for her children who were still with her Mother. She later had to find her own place to rent with her children and met Manuel. Maria and Manuel got married and have had a son together, Luis. They have lived in rented houses ever since, the one they're currently living in they have been renting for 6 years. The owner of the house sold them a piece of his land where the house is; they only owe 5000 pesos ($345) and it is theirs. They pay 1000 pesos ($69) a month in rent, but are very excited to not have to pay rent and have a place that is a home of their own. They will finally be able to pay off their land!

The house where they live is in very bad conditions, but they have decided to stay there all this time because it is very close to where Manuel works. Maria also works to help with their expenses, she works every day in the mornings for 4 hours at the same fishery where Manuel works. In the afternoons, Maria is with the children. Yajaira, the oldest, is a single mom. Her son is Victor, who is 4 years old. Yajaira doesn't work because she stays home to care for her son and the others while her parents are working.

Georgetown UMC- Macias Padilla Family

Build Dates: June 24-28, 2015

Family Information:

Mother- Erika

• Age 28
• Profession: Sells Secondhand Clothing
• Weekly Salary: $41.65 (for 3 days)

Children-

• Fernanda, age 6, 1st Grade
• Cristofer, age 5, Kindergarten

Property Information:

Colonia- Fracc. Santa Cruz
Time with property- 
Electricity- No
Running Water- No

Family Story:

Erika is a single mother who has suffered a lot but has been able to overcome those difficult situations. She comes from a family where there had been a lot of abuse. At the age of 20, she became pregnant by her then boyfriend, but he didn't want to take responsibility for it and ended the relationship. She was left alone with her oldest, Fernanda. She was living with her father on a ranch and for a time, had been working as a maid cleaning someone's house.  During that time, she met another man and went to live with him in a free union and became pregnant again.

Erika never felt loved and accepted by the father's family and they had many problems, including the father not wanting to work, so they separated. She later met Pedro, her third "husband" which she thought would be the last and that they'd be together for life; Erika was happy and everything seemed to be going really well. But after almost four years together, he left leaving only a note for her that said he left because he couldn't stay with her and all the responsibilities with the 2 children that weren't his biological kids.

For a third time, Erika found herself alone with the responsibility of two children to care for. Sometimes one of the men send her 300 pesos ($20 apx.) for food. Erika lives next to her father who also tries to help her out and giver her moral support. Erika works selling secondhand clothes and has no set income to rely on. She works three days a week and makes around $40.

She is paying off her land that a friend sold to her, which has allowed her to be able to pay whatever she can when she can as long as she pays $35 each month. Erika and the kids live in a very small house that is made of pieces of scrap wood and tarps/canvas. For her it is very difficult to build herself a home.

Faith Assembly- Baes Leal Family

Build Dates: June 22-25, 2015

Family Information:

Father- Joel

• Age 46
• Profession: Field Worker
• Daily Salary: $10.40

Mother- Yolanda

• Age 39
• Profession: Field Worker
• Daily Salary: $10.40

 

 

Children-

• Carlos, age 15, Jr High
• Miriam, age 13
• Cristian, age 8, 3rd Grade

Property Information:

Colonia- Tinajitas
Time with property- 3 months
Electricity- Yes
Running Water- No

Family Story:

Joel and Yolanda are from Sinaloa and have been married almost four years. They came to Ensenada just over one year ago, running away from many problems. Joel isn't the father of the 3 children. Their father is in jail because he was accused of sexually abusing the two oldest, Carlos and Miriam. Their father started to be physically abusive of Carlos as well, and that is when he confessed to his mother that their father had been touching them inappropriately. Yolanda immediately turned him in and he was then imprisoned. Their father is still in prison, but he has a brother involved in gangs who sent them a message threatening to kill Yolanda for putting his brother in jail.

Joel and Yolanda had to leave and they came here to Ensenada where they didn't know anyone, without any money, and without telling any relatives where they are. Joel is doing what he can to protect Yolanda and the children. When they arrived in Ensenada, they asked a church to house them, then lived with neighbors, and lastly, found an abandoned house without any doors. They cleaned up the house and moved in. When the owner of the house showed up, they were able to come to an agreement that allowed them to stay but look for their own place. They bought a piece of land on credit close to where they had been living and Joel built a small place for them on the land with old pieces of wood and scrap plywood, and a tarp to use as the roof.

They have lived there for the past three months. Joel works in construction and is hired by contract. When he has no job, he goes and works in the fields. Yolanda also works in the fields when there is work in order for them to have more income to use to make the land payments each month. The income they make from working in the fields is barely enough to cover land payments, food and basic living expenses.

Note: The children do not know that Yolanda told HOH about the sexual abuse that happened.

Olivia's Basket - Aguirre Lopez

Build Dates: July 2-4, 2015

Family Information:

Father- Alvaro

• Age 26
• Profession: Fisherman
• Weekly Salary: $48.60-$62.50

Mother- Johana

• Age 18
• Profession: Student
• Weekly Salary:

Children-

Josted, 1 yr 8 months

Property Information:

Colonia- Gomez Morin
Time with property- 7 months
Electricity- Yes
Running Water- No

Family Story:

Alvaro and Johana have been married for 3 years. When they got married, they rented a house, but later were unable to pay the rent and moved in with Johana's brother. While living with the brother, they started having problems and decided it was too much for the two families to be able to live together.

They started looking for land, but Johana's aunt decided to sell some land on the same street they were living. Alvaro bought the land from Johana's aunt on a payment schedule. The aunt herself hadn't completed paying off the land and so Alvaro and Johana had to sign a transfer of the land and will continue paying it off directly to the state.

They are very happy because they finally have a place to live. Immediately, Alvaro built a small structure with pallets and pieces of old scrap wood, and the roof covered in tarps. Alvaro lost his job at a factory when they had to let go of a lot of their employees. He is currently working as a fisherman with a friend of his. His salary is very unstable and earns around $50 a week, but it can be more or less. Johana isn't working because she is studying to finish high school. Their son is taken care of by his grandma. Johana and Alvaro do not have the means to be able to build themselves a better home.

Defender Yellow - Velazco Santiago Family

Build Dates: June 19-22, 2015

Family Information:

Father- Jose

• Age 22
• Profession: Field Worker
• Daily Salary: $9.65

Mother- Martina

• Age 25
• Profession:
• Weekly Salary:

Children-

• Dulce, age 8, 3rd grade
• Isabela, age 4

Property Information:

Colonia- El Veladero
Time with property- 1 1/2 years
Electricity- Yes
Running Water- No

Family Story:

Jose and Martina have been living together for 3 years. Martina already had her two daughters when they started living together. The biological father of the girls was very aggressive and repeatedly abused her physically, until she decided one day to leave him. 

After that she met Jose and decided to marry him. Jose is a very responsible and hardworking man. For a time they were living in Martina's moms house, since Jose worked in the fields his salary is very limited and they didn't have enough to rent a house. Now Jose works packaging vegetables and he earns a little more than before, so they decided to buy a property in installments. Jose built a small shelter with scraps of wood, the roof is made of plastic tarps and they've been living there for a year and a half. 

Martina doesn't work because her girls are still young and she doesn't have anyone to look after them. For Jose it's been very difficult to build a better house as they are still making payments on the property. He earns around $62 dollars a week, sometimes they ask him to work overtime and he earns a bit more, but even then it's hard for them to make ends meet. 

Defender Blue - Hernandez Torrez Family

Build Dates: June 19-22, 2015

Family Information:

Father- Carlos

• Age 34
• Profession: Vegetable Packer
• Daily Salary: $11.33

Mother- Erika

• Age 32
• Profession: Makes Tamales
• Weekly Salary: Between $20 and $32

Children-

• Karla, age 9
• Iker, Age 3

Property Information:

Colonia- Pipila
Time with property- 1 year
Electricity- Yes
Running Water- No

Family Story:

Erika and Carlos have been living together for 11 years. For 10 of those years they've been renting different houses. Last year, Carlos' mom gave them a property because they couldn't afford to pay rent anymore. They had to move and live with Carlos' mother in a tiny room that's off to the side of the house. The shelter is made up of purely recycled material; like old wood, cardboard, plastic, etc. and they've lived there for a year. 

Erika's mom has a huge property and decided to donate a portion of it to each one of her children, including Erika. The donated property is right next to where they are living now. 

Carlos works in the fields, and sometimes in packaging vegetables. He earns around $68 dollars a week. Erika doesn't have a steady job, sometimes she works with her friend making tamales and gets anywhere between $20 and $32 depending on how many tamales they make. It's been very hard for them to build something better as their salary is very limited. 

Defender Red - Gomez Curiel Family

Build Dates: June 19-22, 2015

Family Information:

Father- Carlos

• Age 33
• Profession: Ice manufacturer
• Daily Salary: $9.65

Mother- Graciela

• Age 27
• Profession: 
• Weekly Salary: 

Children-

• Brayan, age 11, 5th grade
• Carlos, age 7, 2nd grade
• Erik, age 2
• Karla, 1 month

Property Information:

Colonia- El Zorillo
Time with property- 7 years
Electricity- Yes
Running Water- No

Family Story:

Carlos and Graciela have been married for 9 years. Graciela already had a son prior to her marriage with Carlos. Graciela and the boys' father were separated because he wouldn't work, the boys father has never supported her financially. Now she's married to Carlos and they have had three more children.

They bought a piece of property and found an old trailer to use and have been living in it for 7 years. Graciela applied for a home with YWAM because she was pregnant with their 4th child and the trailer they were living in was in poor conditions to be receiving a new baby. Apart from the fact that it would be too small for all of them. They were so excited to hear that they'll be receiving a new home soon. 

The tried to move the trailer to prepare the property to poor the foundation for the new house, but it was very old and fell apart. They had to take it apart and were able to sell the steel parts at a recycling plant, they used the proceeds to level the property for the construction. 

They've had to go and live temporarily with Graciela's mom, she lives on the same street as them. Carlos works at an ice manufacturing company and only earns around $59 dollars a week. His salary is very small for their expenses. 

True-U - Pacheco Morales Family

Build Dates: June 12-15, 2015

Family Information:

Father- Gabino

• Age 35
• Profession: Field Worker
• Daily Salary: $10.00

Mother- Lucia

• Age 30
• Profession: 
• Weekly Salary: 

Children-

• Yuritzi, age 3
• Marcelina (Grandmother), age 60

Property Information:

Colonia- Tinajitas
Time with property- 4 years
Electricity- Yes
Running Water- No

Family Story:

Gabino and Lucia are from an indigenous community in Oaxaca. They speak the Mixteco dialect and have been married for 4 1/2 years. They lived with Lucia's mom for 6 months, but Gabino felt very uncomfortable there, and he decided to buy a property paying in installments. He immediately built a small shelter with garage doors and they moved to live on the property. They've been living there for 4 years now. They have a three year old girl, and Gabino's mom came from Oaxaca to live with them. 

Gabino works in the fields and earns around $62 a week. His salary isn't enough to cover all of their expenses as they are still making payments on the property. Lucia prefers not to work as her daughter is very young and she wants to stay home to look after her. However, some weeks she needs to go and work in the fields 2 days a week to help cover the cost of food. 

For Gabino it's very hard to build a better house as they barely make enough to cover the property payments and food expenses.