New home for Mendoza Puzul family in Guatemala
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My name is Hannah Chin Pratt. I was a Peace Corps Volunteer in San Marcos La Laguna, a small village on the shores of beautiful Lake Atitlán in Guatemala from 2002 to 2004.
Lake Atitlán
During my two years in San Marcos, I lived with a family. The mom's name is Jesusa, or Xta Chus in Kaqchikel, and the dad's name is Bruno. When I was there, they had two kids, Alex and Javier. After I left, they had a third child, whom they named after my sister Libby. Alex has since married Elena, and had a son Alexis, and Javier has a girlfriend named Erika.
Javier, Alex and I in 2003.
Xta Chus making the masa for tamales in 2003
My time in San Marcos La Laguna profoundly changed my worldview. Seeing the discrimination and prejudice that the indigenous people in my village faced opened my eyes to the alternate reality of life for people of color in my own country and inspired me to fight for racial justice. I learned Spanish and Kaqchikel, the Mayan language that everyone in town spoke. I created strong, true, and loving relationships with my Guatemalan family and friends in the village despite our profound differences, and that was such a powerful testament to our common humanity. I learned that someone can love me and still keep trying to raise the rent because that is the only way they see to make ends meet; I learned that economics will always play a role in our relationship.
Since finishing the Peace Corps, I have visited my family in San Marcos La Laguna twice, in 2006 and 2009. We keep in touch via WhatsApp texts and photos and the occasional phone call, where I have to dust off my Kaqchikel and search the depths of my brain for vocabulary words once known but now forgotten. Often when I hear Jesusa's voice, tears spring to my eyes unbidden. I sent money to the family to help put the boys through middle & high school and also reached out to my network here for financial support for their education.
On October 6th, 2020 about 7 pm I got a WhatsApp voice message from Javier. He told me that there was a landslide and their house had been destroyed. A few hours later, I called Xta Chus and she told me with a shaky voice that Xta Katal had died in the mudslide (her beloved sister-in-law and my friend) as well as Xta Katal's two children.
Xta Katal with my mom Candace
The landslide caused me to reflect on the unfairness of life; how some people are born in the United States and some people are born in Guatemala and how that drastically affects your life options and choices; how you can lose a loved one to sudden death from one day to another; how already life is such a struggle for the majority of Guatemalans, and then to have your home wiped out in one night with no home insurance, little savings, and no real way to earn money beyond what is needed to keep eating each day. That night I sent $1,500 to cover immediate needs such as clothing, pots & pans, and food.
This boulder destroyed their house.
The last remaining wall of the house with my map still hanging from 16 years ago.
Since the landslide the family has been living in the preschool. The municipality declared the land unsafe, so they can't rebuild their home on their land. The purpose of this GoFundMe is to raise funds so that they can buy a new plot of land and build a new house. When I asked Alex and Javier how much they needed for this, they said 300,000 Quetzales, which is about $40,000. 100% of the money donated will go to Xta Chus, Bruno, Alex, Javier, and family.
I know that the pandemic has created economic hardships for many, many people. If you have a little extra to give this holiday season, Xta Chus, Bruno, Alex, Javier, Xta Liby, Elena, Alexis, Erika, and I would greatly appreciate it.
This is a video that my family in Guatemala made when I told them I wanted to start a GoFundMe campaign. It is in Spanish and Kaqchikel, and I have translated the text to English below.
Video text in English:
(xta Liby) The 6th of October of the present year at approximately 7 pm, something began to thunder. I was cooking with my mom. It was my dad’s birthday. We didn’t know that it was the big rock that had slipped off the ridge. (xta Liby talking)
(xta Chus) We ran. It was so dark because the electricity had gone out, and we almost went with it. We were really scared, but thanks be to God, we are alive.
(Bruno) I wasn’t home at that time. When I got home and saw my house destroyed, I thought “My wife is dead. My daughter is dead.”
(Alex) This year has hit us hard. We never thought that on October 6th a giant boulder would destroy our house.
(Elena) It ruined the whole house, and we are worried about what will happen next because the land is destabilized now, and there could be landslides or collapses. The area was declared a red zone.
(Javier) In the name of my family, we ask you for your support so that we can build a new home, and continue to live in joy and harmony as a family.
(Erika) We are very thankful for whatever support you can provide. A thousand thanks.
Lake AtitlánDuring my two years in San Marcos, I lived with a family. The mom's name is Jesusa, or Xta Chus in Kaqchikel, and the dad's name is Bruno. When I was there, they had two kids, Alex and Javier. After I left, they had a third child, whom they named after my sister Libby. Alex has since married Elena, and had a son Alexis, and Javier has a girlfriend named Erika.
Javier, Alex and I in 2003.Xta Chus making the masa for tamales in 2003My time in San Marcos La Laguna profoundly changed my worldview. Seeing the discrimination and prejudice that the indigenous people in my village faced opened my eyes to the alternate reality of life for people of color in my own country and inspired me to fight for racial justice. I learned Spanish and Kaqchikel, the Mayan language that everyone in town spoke. I created strong, true, and loving relationships with my Guatemalan family and friends in the village despite our profound differences, and that was such a powerful testament to our common humanity. I learned that someone can love me and still keep trying to raise the rent because that is the only way they see to make ends meet; I learned that economics will always play a role in our relationship.
Since finishing the Peace Corps, I have visited my family in San Marcos La Laguna twice, in 2006 and 2009. We keep in touch via WhatsApp texts and photos and the occasional phone call, where I have to dust off my Kaqchikel and search the depths of my brain for vocabulary words once known but now forgotten. Often when I hear Jesusa's voice, tears spring to my eyes unbidden. I sent money to the family to help put the boys through middle & high school and also reached out to my network here for financial support for their education.
On October 6th, 2020 about 7 pm I got a WhatsApp voice message from Javier. He told me that there was a landslide and their house had been destroyed. A few hours later, I called Xta Chus and she told me with a shaky voice that Xta Katal had died in the mudslide (her beloved sister-in-law and my friend) as well as Xta Katal's two children.
Xta Katal with my mom CandaceThe landslide caused me to reflect on the unfairness of life; how some people are born in the United States and some people are born in Guatemala and how that drastically affects your life options and choices; how you can lose a loved one to sudden death from one day to another; how already life is such a struggle for the majority of Guatemalans, and then to have your home wiped out in one night with no home insurance, little savings, and no real way to earn money beyond what is needed to keep eating each day. That night I sent $1,500 to cover immediate needs such as clothing, pots & pans, and food.
This boulder destroyed their house.The last remaining wall of the house with my map still hanging from 16 years ago. Since the landslide the family has been living in the preschool. The municipality declared the land unsafe, so they can't rebuild their home on their land. The purpose of this GoFundMe is to raise funds so that they can buy a new plot of land and build a new house. When I asked Alex and Javier how much they needed for this, they said 300,000 Quetzales, which is about $40,000. 100% of the money donated will go to Xta Chus, Bruno, Alex, Javier, and family.
I know that the pandemic has created economic hardships for many, many people. If you have a little extra to give this holiday season, Xta Chus, Bruno, Alex, Javier, Xta Liby, Elena, Alexis, Erika, and I would greatly appreciate it.
This is a video that my family in Guatemala made when I told them I wanted to start a GoFundMe campaign. It is in Spanish and Kaqchikel, and I have translated the text to English below.
Video text in English:
(xta Liby) The 6th of October of the present year at approximately 7 pm, something began to thunder. I was cooking with my mom. It was my dad’s birthday. We didn’t know that it was the big rock that had slipped off the ridge. (xta Liby talking)
(xta Chus) We ran. It was so dark because the electricity had gone out, and we almost went with it. We were really scared, but thanks be to God, we are alive.
(Bruno) I wasn’t home at that time. When I got home and saw my house destroyed, I thought “My wife is dead. My daughter is dead.”
(Alex) This year has hit us hard. We never thought that on October 6th a giant boulder would destroy our house.
(Elena) It ruined the whole house, and we are worried about what will happen next because the land is destabilized now, and there could be landslides or collapses. The area was declared a red zone.
(Javier) In the name of my family, we ask you for your support so that we can build a new home, and continue to live in joy and harmony as a family.
(Erika) We are very thankful for whatever support you can provide. A thousand thanks.
Organiser
Hannah Pratt
Organiser
Tacoma, WA