The 10- Day Life Changer

We were sightseeing before the hard work in the days to come, touring the countless markets, the Casa Santo Domingo and the Santa Catalina Arch. We were starting work the next day and not looking forward to it.

Our group worked on the construction of a home for a family in the town of San Miguel Duenas. We did difficult physical labor, including painting, digging, mixing and carrying buckets of cement, and transporting materials from one site to another.

We knew this family was in difficult circumstances; however, we were unaware of the depths of their poverty until we arrived. “Poor” didn’t do justice to their situation. Destitute, maybe even desperate, was more fitting. A massive flood had devastated the home of a couple with five children, with a sixth on the way.

The father noticed the flooding in its early stages and moved his family to safety. He returned and tried his best to minimize the damage. His visibility of the ground decreased as the water rose, and cut his leg against a rusted pipe. He continued working, unaware of the injury or the bleeding.

The house was ruined despite his efforts, but that would be the least of the family’s concerns. His wife recalls the cut as not being too deep, but because their village lacked a doctor, he was unable to receive the appropriate medical treatment. The wound became infected and he succumbed to his injury a few days later.

We were surprised by how strong the widow carried herself when we first met her. Her children on the other hand were not as strong, especially the younger ones, who were reluctant to leave her side. The family’s eldest son, who was around my age, took it the hardest. He understood the full extent of his family’s problems and how all of their lives would not be the same.

He became the new head of the family after the tragedy, and the amount of responsibility on him was too much. He was no longer able to play soccer and his college dreams were crushed.

The pregnant widow was now homeless and would have to raise six children herself. She did not have the means to raise them without a home, so she reached out to the city’s mayor. Luckily, the city’s elections were occurring around that time, so the mayor was willing to help.

Through a few connections he contacted our group and we were sent to help others complete the house. This was Grade 10, when I, seven other students and a guidance counsellor went to Guatemala as part of the Developing World Connections. We traveled for 14 hours, including a layover in Dallas and an hour-long van ride from Guatemala City into Antigua. This is how we chose to spend our Spring Break.

A few in our group, including myself, were privileged. We never struggled like this family. I did not have the mindset for this sensitive task, and it was a hard and memorable lesson.

This experience permanently changed me and my perspective. I have a home and people that love me there no matter what the day brings, but that can disappear in an instant. As humble as I thought I was, it is not until I experienced this life-changing event that I appreciated my lot in life. Thoughts about this family and how close they came to absolute ruin still haunts me today, but I am grateful for it. I highly recommend to young students who aspire to travel or learn abroad to definitely visit an underprivileged area and gain an appreciation of how blessed we are. It’s a decision I would repeat.