Companion-Caregivers
Layo moved into Casa de Esperanza in January of 2020 along with his brother, Santiago. The young men had aged out of the children’s home here in Guatemala, and it was felt they both needed a supported living environment. Layo soon showed us his independence and reliability, as well as good judgment. When Covid hit in March of that year, Layo took on the responsibilities of a companion-caregiver in the home. He is dedicated to serving our young men, as well as befriending them. This past year Layo has successfully returned to school to complete his education despite some significant learning disabilities. We are so honored to have him working with us.
Felix, our newest staff member, travels 2+ hours on a chicken bus, coming from Santa Cruz Balanyá, to work with us. As a single man, he has become the backbone of our caregiving team. He is eagerly available to serve whenever needed, and has demonstrated a remarkable bond with each of our men. He has previously been a farm worker and mason’s assistant, though he was orginally trained as a preschool teacher. Having the heart of a teacher, he is now working with our men who need to improve their academic skills in addition to his caregiving duties.
Ale serves as the cook and housekeeper at Casa de Esperanza. She and Osmi, one of our residents, were married last November. Recently one of our partner ministries, Bethel Ministries International, built the newlyweds a small house. We are currently working on getting utilities set up, and then their family will be able to live together. Their oldest son often comes just to hang out at our house, while their youngest daughter (shown above with Fidel) has become the “mascot” of Casa de Esperanza.