Dionisia and her son once lived in this house of straw, where cold, rain and wind easily penetrated the flimsy walls.

HUAYCAN, Peru – At the age of 15, most girls are attending high school and spending time at the mall. But Dionisia had a very different life.

She was only 15 when she had to leave her home and move to the city of Lima, where she began working as a maid. She fell in love, but the man she thought loved her in return left her while she was pregnant. Dionisia made the decision that she would be strong and raise her child alone.

She had a baby boy and named him Arturo. When he was about 12 years old, they moved to Huaycan and settled on a piece of property in the hills. Dionisia worked the land, but when Arturo became ill with tuberculosis, their income could not pay for medical treatment.

So she sold their property.

“They gave me 700 soles (USD $250) for the place,” Dionisia said. “I could buy medicines and food for my son with that money.” But soon, things took another turn for the worse. “Then, it was me who was sick, so we needed to sell the house, it was the only thing we had left,” she said.

Now, Dionisia and Arturo have a sturdy home to live in, thanks to a helping hand from Operation Blessing.

Suddenly, Dionisia and Arturo were homeless. Before long, though, they purchased a small piece of land for 200 soles and Dionisia began constructing a “house” made of straw and plastic.

“My house is very small,” she said, noting that there is room for only one bed. “But the worst is at night, when the cold gets into the house through the walls.”

Soon after OB Peru learned about Dionisia’s story, a team of workers came to her house, ready to build her a new home—a real home this time, with a cement floor and solid walls with windows. OB also blessed her with bedspreads and clothes for Arturo.

“Thank you so much Operation Blessing. Now my son and I will have a better place to live, with much more space and privacy. And we won’t have to be cold at night,” said Dionisia with a big smile.

HOW YOU CAN HELP

This microenterprise venture is one of many Operation Blessing projects touching lives around the world. You can be a part of improving the quality of life for impoverished communities by supporting these and other life-changing programs.

 

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