Day 4, The Widow

You are probably sick of reading about how great Casa Angelina is, but it really is that wonderful, and anyone who knows me, knows that I am a skeptical about everything. Another example of the wonderful things that happen around Casa Angelina, is the way it helps the surrounding village. Tuluche is your typical Mayan village. Dirt roads, tin shanty's, and farmland.
The staff had heard about a Widow living in the village who was 82 years old, and living in the worst of conditions. Her house was made out of cornstalks for the walls and a tin roof. She had an open fire pit within the house, that she used for cooking. There was no chimney. So she was essentially living in a closed fireplace.
Casa Angelina raised the funds to built this poor woman a safer home, made of cement, with a real cooking stove, and a functional bathroom, which she did not have. They also dug her a well so that she could have clean water.
On day 4 after working, painting, and sewing. We walked down the dirt road to visit with the widow. Unfortunately I can't remember her name and neither can my aunt.



The road up to the village. On the road we passed a church, a tiny school, and even a little store. The road is torturous, the Widow is no longer able to make it to church, because of the road.
What is this, a walking cornstalk? No it is a man carrying all of that on his back. Walking down this dangerous road with this strapped to his back. He will then board a bus and bring this to market to try to sell it. Most likely for less than 2 dollars, for all that work.
Corn growing in front of the Widows house.
This is the Widows daughters house, on the right, that is the only sink, for washing clothes, dishes, and bodies.

Here she comes on the left, out of her house, the sweetest lady I ever met. That is her new house with the open door, to the left is her little bathroom.
She was so proud of her little house, with it's hand painted bed, a small wood burning stove, a few pots and pans, and one chair.
Here is a broom I saw outside. I will never complain about vacuuming again.
Here she stands on the left, with her granddaughter in the middle and her daughter on the right. Three generations. I can not fathom the hardships these woman have endured. If you look closely at the Widow's hands, you can see how large they are, from years of hard work.
She was so happy we visited her she sang a song for us. We all gave her a little money and some food before we left. I wish we could have spent more time there.
It was so inspiring to me to meet this woman, she was so filled with happiness and love and yet she had so little. But what little she had was the world to her.