WadsyWay- Mendez Guzman Family

Build Dates: JuLy 18th & 19th

Family Information:

Mother- Susan

• Age: 26

• Profession: Cleans Houses

• Monthly Salary: $275

Children-

• Emily, 10 yrs, 5th Grade

• Kiara, 8 yrs, 2nd Grade

• Sofia, 4 yrs

• They live with Susan’s s mother and 2 sisters

Property Information:

Colonia- Vista al Mar
Time with property- 8 months
Electricity- Yes
Running Water- Yes
Structure- N/A
 

Family Story:

Susan was born in Ensenada and grew up on her parent’s land. When she was 15 years old she got pregnany with her daughter Emily. It was a high risk pregnancy and the baby was born prematurely at 8 months. Emily’s father never wanted anything to do with them, but Susan’s mother helped them out. When she was 16 she met Juan and they were married. They went and lived with Juan’s mother. Juan took care of Emily, and together they had two more daughters. After 10 years of marriage they are getting divorced. Juan was unfaithful numerous times, the emotional abuse was affecting her and her daughters, and Susan didn’t want to be in that relationship anymore. She returned to her mother’s house with her 3 girls and her mom gave her a section of their land. That is where Susan wants to build a home for her family. Every day, Susan’s mother takes the girls to school while Susan goes to work cleaning houses. After school, the girls are cared for by Susan’s mother until she is done working. Susan has a set job cleaning 2 houses each week. Susan now wishes to complete her high school because due to her pregnancy with Emily, she was never able to graduate. Susan would like to go on to college in order that she may have a better job to set a good example and provide a better future for her girls.

MA YNPC Jr High- Diaz Oropeza Family

Build Dates: JuLY 15th-17th

Family Information:

Father- Bersain

• Age: 25

• Profession: Field Worker

• Monthly Salary: $265

Mother- Maria Fernanda

• Age: 15

• Profession: Homemaker

• Monthly Salary: N/A

Children-

• Vianey Monserrat, 6 months

Property Information:

Colonia- El Paraiso
Time with property- 1 yr +  
Electricity- No
Running Water- No
Structure- Scrap Materials & Dirt Floor
 

Family Story:

Bersain and Maria Fernanda have formed a small family. Despite being a minor, Fernanda is a young mother with a 6 month old baby. Bersain works in the fields from Monday-Saturday, 7 am to 3:30 pm. He has to wake up really early though and try to be one of the first on the wait list for work because he does not have a contract with any employer. He has to go and look for work each day. The salary he earns is very little and it does not cover much of their expenses; including having a newborn and making land payments monthly. They live in a small room made of scrap wood, a tarp roof, and dirt floor. That is where they cook and sleep. Bersain sleeps on the floor while Maria Fernanda sleeps in the small bed they have with the baby; there is no room for anything else. Thankfully they have the support of their family. They have been living on their land since deciding to be a family over a year ago. They live under very difficult circumstances and their desire is to be able to have a home that is safe, a home where they do not have to fear what could happen to them. One of the prayers is to have a proper home, and a bed to sleep in.

MA Solace Church- Lopez Segura Family

Build Dates: July 15th-17th

Family Information:

Father- Armando

• Age: 25

• Profession: Welder

• Monthly Salary: $285 approx.

Mother- Claudia

• Age: 22

• Profession: Homemaker

• Monthly Salary: N/A

Children-

• Alexa, 5 yrs

• Brayan, 6 yrs, Kindergarten

Property Information:

Colonia- 89
Time with property- 2 years  
Electricity- No
Running Water- No
Structure- Scrap Wood & Dirt Floor
 

Family Story:

The Lopez Segura family is originally from Ensenada. They have always moved around from house to house, with the in-laws most of the time, and it has been very hard for them. Armando works as a welder and earns very little. Two years ago they were able to get a piece of land, and little by little they built a room to live in. Claudia has always stayed home with the kids as they are still young. The house they live in is unsafe and not a good place for their children to grow up in. Their son was born with his kidneys enlarged and later found out that he is missing 3 disks in his spinal column, those closest to the coccyx. They would like to have a patrimony they can leave to their children.

Black Rock Gives- Acosta Angeles Family

Build Dates: July 15th & 16th

Family Information:

Mother- Reyna

• Age: 46

• Profession: N/A

• Monthly Salary: Receives approx. $30 a month

Children-

• Oliver, 8 yrs, 2nd Grade

• Andres, 12 yrs, 6th Grade (Takes guitar lessons Sunday afternoons at church)

Property Information:

Colonia- Canon Buenavista/ El Zorrillo
Time with property- 8 months
Electricity- Yes
Running Water- No
 

Family Story:

Reyna was born in Pachuca and went to the United States about 12 years years ago. At the time, her son Andres was just one. Reyna went to the US looking for the father of Andres and found him. While living in the US, she gave birth to Oliver. During this time, Reyna got sick; she had fainting spells and found it difficult to walk. After Oliver was born, her children’s father left them and wanted nothing more to do with them, so she returned to Mexico with the boys. Soon after she started getting headaches and had blurry vision. Reyna saw many doctors but all they told her was that they couldn’t do anything with her right eye and she would soon lose her sight and she did. They told her that they could perform a surgery on her left eye and try to save it. For Reyna this has been very difficult for her. She lives off of the donations from other people. Some pastors help her out with food, and another missionary helps her as well by giving 600 pesos to her each month (about $30 USD). The land was donated to her by a man after he saw the conditions she was living in. She has not been able to see the faces of her children since Oliver was 3 and Andres 9. Reyna has no money, cannot see and is alone with her two children.

Black Rock Gives- Contreras Sanchez Family

Build Dates: July 11th & 12th

Family Information:

Father- Cesar Daniel

• Age: 32

• Profession: Ranch Hand

• Monthly Salary: $275 (Working 8 am to 5 pm Mon-Fri; and 8 am -1 pm Sat)

Mother- Elizabeth

• Age: 34

• Profession: Cleaning Apartments

• Monthly Salary: $155 (Working 8am to 2pm Mon, Wed, Fri)

Children-

• Matias, 6 months (Born prematurely and spent 1 1/2 months in NICU)

• Daniel Armando, 1 yr 8 months (has a benign tumor and is being treated in San Diego)

• Angel Adrian, 13 yrs, Jr High

Property Information:

Colonia- Puesta del Sol
Property is Paid Off; haven’t been able to build and live there due to medical expenses
 

Family Story:

Elizabeth was born in Oaxaca, but came with her family to Ensenada when she was 8 years old. She met Pedro, her first husband, in high school and they dated for 2 years before Elizabeth got pregnant with their oldest son Angel. Because of the pregnancy, Elizabeth was unable to complete her high school studies and never graduated. They lived with Pedro’s mother for awhile, but Pedro started using drugs when Daniel Armando was about 3 years old. For that reason, Elizabeth and Angel left and moved in with Elizabeth’s mom. Elizabeth was working and taking care of her son alone. Because she was living with her mom, she was able to save money and buy land, which she paid off in 2011. A friend of Elizabeth introduced her to Cesar Daniel and they began dating. They later moved in together and started renting a house in the colonia MonteMar. Shortly after moving in together, Elizabeth got pregnant with Daniel Armando. Throughout the pregnancy, everything was going well until they detected a tumor. The doctor suggested that Elizabeth have an abortion, but Elizabeth did not want for that to happen. She was sent to see a specialist in Guadalajara and the baby was diagnosed with having a lymphangioma, or malformation of the lymphatic system. It was later that Elizabeth heard about the organization in San Diego called Fresh Start. Last year, Daniel started his treatments at the Rady children’s hospital in San Diego with the help of Fresh Start. He will need surgeries, but they do not know what or when or how long it will take. Matias was a surprise and not planned. Elizabeth changed her birth control and got pregnant when Daniel Armando was 8 months old. Elizabeth went to a prenatal check-up about 6 weeks before Matias’ due date and they did not let her go home. Matias was born and was kept in the NICU for months. Matias has since suffered with his health, he is sensitive to bacteria and has issues with his lungs. Elizabeth has fought hard for her children to have good lives; she wants to protect them and make things better for them. Even so, she has not been able to build a home for them, especially not with all the medical bills they have had the last 2 years. Where they currently live, they do not have a proper floor, and all the humidity inside is bad for her children’s health.
In their own words; “We would like our own home so that we can have better living conditions and offer a beautiful home to our children; something they can call their own home. Somewhere the children can play and grow up happy. And of course, to stop paying rent. The house we are renting does not have a normal floor, which means that our son Daniel who is starting to walk cannot walk about freely. Our children get sick often for the humidity inside. It has been difficult for us to do anything better for them and build on our land. We work hard for our children and believe they deserve to grow up in a beautiful place.”

MA Shiloh Blue- Gonzales Palacios Family

Build Dates: JuLy 4th-6th

Family Information:

Father- Alfredo

• Age: 23

• Profession: Field Worker

• Monthly Salary: $310

Mother- Rosa

• Age: 22

• Profession: Homemaker

• Monthly Salary: N/A

Children-

• Viviano, 3 yrs

• Jose, 1 yr

Property Information:

Colonia- Vista al Mar Maneadero
Time with property- 2 yrs
Electricity- No
Running Water- No
Structure- Scrap Material & Dirt Floor
 

Family Story:

Rosa is originally from Oaxaca. She came to Ensenada looking for a better life, and better work opportunities. Rosa and Alfredo met at their workplace and have been married for three years. They have two sons.

MA Shiloh Red- Toribio Vega Family

Build Dates: JuLY 4th-6th

Family Information:

Mother- Alejandra

• Age: 27

• Profession: Merchant

• Monthly Salary: $66 approx.

Children-

• Alonso, 8 yrs, 3rd Grade

• Maricela, 12 yrs, Jr High

Property Information:

Colonia- Vista al Mar Maneadero
Time with property- about 1 yr
Electricity- No
Running Water- No
Structure- Scrap Wood & Dirt Floor
 

Family Story:

Alejandra is from Oaxaca, but came to Ensenada with her parents 20 years ago. She studied here when she was young and began working in the fields after she graduated. When she was 13 years old she met her ex-husband. Their son was just 4 years old when he abandoned the family. She has since lived with her children and parents. She has helped her parents with work, and in return they are helping her pay for her property. They also helped her build her small house. Her dad has a Home of Hope and he referred her to get one too. She works in her daughter's school selling snacks at recess from 10 am to 10:30 am, working only 2 weeks a month.