Homes for Homeless Families in Guatemala

Santa Madre Homeless Shelter

Mr. Bartolomé is from Sololá, Guatemala and is 60 years old.  He is currently staying every night at the Santa Madre Homeless Shelter in Antigua Guatemala. 

When he tells his story, he mentions that he grew up in a small family; it was only his parents and brother but they all were killed in the war that was taken place in that area about 40 years ago.  When he was 20 years old, he decided to run away towards the border in Mexico and start working as a farmer for many years.

After a few years later, he decided to come back to Guatemala, but to find a different place where he used to live, since everything brought to his mind memories about his family and it was really hard and sad for him.  For that reason, he decided to work and live in the street around the country.  He never had a wife or his own family, he even tells that there were different times when he wanted to suicide, but for some reasons he never did it.  

Currently, Mr. Bartolomé is getting old and sick and for that reason he is turning blind, which makes him feel sad, because he is not able to keep working as he used to do it, and his age is not helping as well to find a job.  He does not want to be a burden for anyone, however, for his age that’s something that he can help it.  Mr. Bartolomé is very grateful with the help received form Asociación Nuestros Ahijados, since he finally decided to stay in Antigua Guatemala but his strength and monetary resources are not enough to find a formal job and rent a place to live.

At the shelter, Mr. Bartolomé has a safe place to stay the night, a place where he can shower, food, clothes, medicine and can feel like he has a home.