The Casa Hogar Marta & Maria is a girls home located in Jalapa, Guatemala. Some of the residents were orphans while others live at the home because their families do not have the financial resources to properly care for them. HEAR has worked extensively with Marta & Maria over the last several years so that it can be a safe, healthy and happy environment for the girls. The ultimate goal of all of HEAR’s programs at Marta & Maria is to provide the girls with the means to become self-sufficient in the future, particularly after they move out of the home.
Nutritional Assistance (2010)
HEAR uses a local distributor to provide a wide variety of fresh meat to the Home on a weekly basis. We also provide funds for them to purchase fresh vegetables from the market each week, and to purchase kitchen goods. There is an experienced cook that supervises and assists the girls in preparing meals, as many of them rarely have the opportunity to cook with meat. In November, a local company will be installing an irrigation system allowing the residents to grow their own food (for consumption and eventually to sell). A more powerful water pump will also be installed so there is sufficient water to supply the irrigation system and the Home. These efforts were made possible by very generous donations from a few loyal supporters.
Home and Grounds Improvements (2009-2010)
HEAR recently has taken additional steps to create a healthier and cleaner environment for the residents of Marta & Maria. In July of 2010, Hijas volunteers painted the entire first floor of the home creating a brighter and more homey feel. They also built wooden clothesline structures so there is adequate room to hang drying clothes. HEAR purchased and installed new septic tanks for the Home, and with the help of local workers and other organizations we have installed a more effective plumbing system. We worked with the Home to find a solution for a sustainable and safe method for disposing of trash; they compost their organic garbage and a garbage truck now comes weekly.
Playground Construction (2009)
HEAR collaborated with Hijas to build a safe new playground at Marta & Maria. A company in Guatemala supplied the materials and a group of HEAR volunteers traveled to Guatemala in November 2009 to construct the playground. Hijas raised over half the funds for this project and HEAR extended a matching funds grant to make the project possible.
Second Floor (2008)
HEAR funded the construction of the second floor of the Marta & Maria orphanage. This allowed all of the girls to live in one location – previously there wasn’t enough room for all the girls, forcing even siblings to live in a separate home in the village. The new floor allowed families to reunite and provided a clean, safe and comfortable place for the girls to live.
Well Construction (2007)
HEAR funded the installation of a well supplying Marta & Maria with a reliable source of potable water.