Village of Faith

Fe Viva cares for dozens of families in crisis in the community of Poza de Agua (approximate population: 100,000). Many families without help would not survive. They are families who have lost their father and/or mother, but still have a guardian that tries to provide care. Other families have parents who are crippled and have no way to provide for their family’s needs due to a limiting physical condition.  Fe Viva helps supply the needed daily food, medical, educational and spiritual care for them to survive. 

Our main focus is to educate the children and send them to a good school - providing their school supplies – thus giving them a hope and a future that does not rely on welfare or begging for the rest of their lives. Once the children graduate from a school program or trades training school they will be able to get a good paying job and Fe Viva will no longer need to care for them.

This is where the Village of Faith comes in. The families we assist live in squalor - by any standard. Most of them are squatters on other peoples’ land, so Fe Viva cannot meet the need for proper living conditions for them. Because they do not own their own land, it is impossible for us to build or improve the home. If we add improvements the landlord may evict them or force them to pay a higher rent without the means to do so. The living conditions are usually no better than a mud or grass hut with dirt floor, no running water and no electricity.  Although Fe Viva can help with their many medical problems, their conditions become chronic.  It becomes a vicious cycle that needs to be broken.

The Solution:

Fe Viva purchased a large piece of land (approx. 5 acres) very close to its present compound in Guatemala.  The vision is to build 12-18 houses to accommodate families in crisis. Also as our CasaKids turn eighteen they have the option of a transitional home before embarking on their future.  Building homes addresses many issues and helps ensure a better future. Each home will be self contained, complete with clean water, electricity, laundry facilities and a secure environment.

The families would not own the homes, but they would be allowed to live there as the need dictates. We would then be able to continue helping other families in crisis by providing clean, safe housing for a long time to come.

As of April 1, 2011, Fe Viva has four homes on the Village of Faith. Please contact us if you are interested in joining a construction team or donating to this project.