Where the idea began
Guatemala Housing Alliance (GHA) was founded by the Wynne family as a way to contribute in a sustainable, efficient, and meaningful way. The founders, a family with varied backrounds, were inspired by having volunteered with other nonprofits building homes for people in Guatemala. Everyone agreed this is something they could do and in 2011 GHA was registered in the state of WA as a 501 c3 nonprofit organization.
What GHA does
GHA is building homes for deserving families in the small villages of San Juan, San Pablo, and San Pedro located in the west side of Lago de Atitlán, Sololá, Guatemala. This location was chosen due to the high demand for decent housing and the absence of someone filling the void. We select the applicants for a home first by taking recommendations made by nonprofit organizations in the area that focus in health and education. A list of recommendations is compiled and then our social worker visits these families several times in order to verify their qualifications. In effect the negotiations with other institutions helps them with their objectives, as well as GHA's objective of making sure the homes will be put to good use. These alliances ensure a more sustainable and efficient use of resources by empowering families who are sending their children to school, keeping the family healthy, and above all with the desire to improve their and the communities living conditions.
To date GHA has built two homes in San San Pablo. This undertaking was completed by two family members who have been making frequent trips back and forth to coordinate operations. Both of the projects were a big success and GHA is now planning to hire a full time project manager starting in June 2012.
Homes
Homes are built by volunteers and local masons. Construction takes ten days and costs roughly $3,000 per home. The layout of the home is a simple two room structure with concrete floor, three windows, a metal roof, a lockable door, and a vented efficient wood cookstove. The homes are funded by volunteers (whom are welcome in August 2012) and donors.
If you have any more questions about GHA please don't hesitate to post a question or contact me!
