In Remolino, Fani Yaquelin Diaz Bonilla sits on a neon pink plastic chair in the middle of her makeshift living room. Her 3-year-old daughter Lizy scrambles onto her lap, gleefully squeezing her cheeks. It’s an ordinary day for Fani, but to an outsider, her situation would be anything but ordinary.
Fani is a 27-year-old mother of four. She has three boys and one girl, ages 3 to 11. Her oldest son Oscar lives in the United States, but her three youngest children live with her in Remolino. Fani married young and had her first child when she was only 16.
One day, Fani’s husband left Remolino to find work in another city. He promised he would return, so she waited, but days, weeks, and months went by without hearing from him. Eventually, he told her that he had started a new life in the city and that they should separate. Fani was devastated, but knew she had to step up and take charge of her household. At the time, she was living in Remolino with her kids in a small but secure adobe-style home.
A few months ago, the owners of that house kicked her out. With very little money saved up and no other options, Fani and her three kids were forced to move into the only “home” they could afford: a run-down building with only one exterior wall. Fani transformed the structure into a home as best she could, setting up a few plastic chairs, a shelf, and a small refrigerator.
Currently, the structure only has one bedroom, which is separated from the outside world by a thin white sheet. She shares the small bedroom with her three kids, but worries for their safety every night because they are so exposed. In addition to concerns over their physical safety, living in these conditions presents major health risks. Living in an open structure, Fani and her kids are vulnerable to mosquitoes, snakes, and other wild animals that can carry life-threatening diseases.
No one deserves to live in these conditions, but we need your help. Humanity and Hope would like to give Fani a loan to purchase some land and build a new house. The total cost would be $5,830. Everyone deserves to live in a home with a roof and four walls. Your financial support will help Fani create a new life for herself and her children.
