Figure 2:

Their home with furnishings & supplies

Figure 1:

Hipolita with her daughter, Claudia

“The strength of a mother is the foundation on which a family thrives."

~ J. K. Rowling ~

MISSION

BACKGROUND

For over 250 million women around the world, the loss of a partner is magnified by

challenges for their basic human rights, dignity and place in society.

PHOTO GALLERY

SUCCESS STORIES

The widow program empowers destitute

widows and their children by delivering customized nutrition, lodging, health, education, and

sustainable livelihood services.

Integral to the program is developing the

widow's skills so she can generate revenue to supplement her typical household income of $2 to $4 a day.

We also focus on the widow’s children, who often experience hunger, hardship, and abuse.

The services considered for widows are:

•  Health (nutrition & medical care)

•  Children’s education (preschool through high school)

•  Enhanced quality of life:

     --  Lodging (new construction, rent, or

        --  Lodging (new construction, rent, or

         renovation),

     --  Installment of utilities (gas, electricity,

             and heat)

     --  Installment of appliances (oven, refrigeration,

             washing machine, heater)

     --  Purchase of furniture and houseware

•  Sustainability (microbusiness)   

A widow not only faces grief, loss, or trauma after the death of a spouse, but they also suffer from economic insecurity, discrimination, and harmful traditional practices based on their marital status

In many countries, widows do not have equal inheritance rights,

and they may be stripped of their land, evicted from their

homes, or even separated from their children.

They may be denied access to inheritance, bank accounts,

and credit, which can have significant financial impact

on them, their children, and future generations.

Nearly 20% of widows worldwide live in extreme poverty.  In

Egypt and Guatemala, those numbers are significantly higher.

While facing economic insecurity, widows are often subjected

to stereotypes, prejudices, and harmful traditional

practices. They often

face restrictions on their dress, remarriage, and mobility for

years after the death of a partner.  In many countries, a

woman’s value is contingent on having a spouse.

Widowhood can  force women out of familial and social

structures, leaving them particularly vulnerable to

poverty, isolation, and violence.

(GUATEMALA)

Aury's Story

A Dedicated Mother of 4 Children

Aury was an abused, abandoned mother of 4 young boys when Finding Freedom Through Friendship (FFF) first met her.  Aury had a daily struggle dealing with the health issues of three of her four children.  Two of her boys were in need of corrective eye surgery and her youngest son, who was only 2 years old, had cerebral palsy. The youngest boy’s condition required twice-a-week physical therapy.  This meant a 4-hour round trip bus ride for each treatment since she had no transportation of her own.  Without a husband or family to help her, Aury had to take all four boys with her on each trip.  Her lack of childcare assistance also prevented her from finding a job that could meet her schedule needs and didn’t require her to have outside childcare which was difficult to find in her small town.  As Aury was unable to find a job to allow her to earn an income, having adequate food to feed a family of 5 was always a struggle.

In addition to the demands of her children’s healthcare and her own lack of employment, Aury had instigated formal legal action against her abusive husband and desired to move her children to a safer living situation.  However, due to the legal proceedings and a judge’s order, she was unable to do this.

Because of her dedication to her children, fortitude in meeting their needs and determination to get to a better place for her family’s future, Aury was recommended and accepted into the FFF Widow program.  Entrance into the program allowed her to have access to additional resources to help her family both physically and mentally.

Receiving Help, Receiving Health

After admission into the program, Aury and her boys were assisted in numerous ways.  As part of the Widow’s program, they began to receive monthly food and nutrition supplements worth more than $80 a month.  This donation has helped the family enjoy improved health and nutrition and the security of the food has been a great relief to Aury.  The youngest son, affected by cerebral palsy, received support by an orthopedic professional to fabricate a brace allowing him to learn to walk properly.  Through FFFs medical care donations, the two sons with vision issues have received eyeglasses which has greatly improved their educational opportunities.  All 3 school-age children have been included in the FFF scholarship program enabling their school expenses and supplies to be paid for so they can be educated.  The boys continue to do well in school and appreciate their education made possible by the annual scholarship program.

Growing Independence and Finding Hope

In addition to meeting the family’s immediate needs, FFF was able to help Aury become more independent and self-sufficient through several means.  Aury was admitted to FFFs micro-business program which allowed her to create her own school supply store.  The store allowed Aury to work part-time while her older children were in school and she cared for her youngest at work.  FFF paid for her initial stock of school supply items for the store and set her up with a mentor to train her how to operate a business.  This training included learning how to retain profits from the business to reinvest into future stock for the store and how to manage the stock of the store.  Aury was also assisted by our organization helping her create her own home-based business of making traditional aprons that she could then sell for additional income. FFF paid for sewing lessons and a sewing machine for Aury to make the aprons. This second micro-business has allowed her to work from home sewing the aprons while still being with her children and being able to care for them in their home, alleviating the need for outside childcare.

Through hard work, determination, and dedication to her children, Aury has been able to achieve more security and sense of control over her life with the financial and emotional support from FFF.  While Aury’s life has significantly improved over the last few years, her greatest need remains safe, affordable long-term housing for herself and her children.  A future goal for FFF’s support to Aury and the boys is to secure land and build a small home to allow them to have generationally secure housing.  Unfortunately, at this point, land is priced outside FFFs ability to afford the purchase.

(GUATEMALA)

Discovering Hipolita

Hipolita was a widow living in remote, rural Guatemala with her young daughter.

She was fortunate in that she owned and lived in an Adobe brick home that had been built with funds donated by a donor, before her admission into Finding Freedom.  Unfortunately, however, the home was only a structure with simply a dirt floor and no furnishings what-so-ever.  

A Desperate Situation

Hipolita had no sustainable income before entering the FFF program.  In her own words, she said: “I had nothing.  I had an empty house.”

To earn income, Hipolita wove mats, each one taking several days to create.  When she was able to find someone to buy a mat, she was still only able to earn a few dollars for each one.  Despite her strong work effort, resourcefulness, and perseverance, she could not rise above her severe poverty.  Hipolita was unable to afford an education for her eight-year-old daughter, Claudia, struggled to feed their family and was unable to provide even basic furnishings for their home.

Making Steps in a Positive Direction

After entering the FFF program, Hipolita shared: “Now my house has things we needed: kitchen utensils, cots, furniture.”

At this point, FFF was able to assist Hipolita and her daughter in several ways.  Material and labor were donated to construct a concrete floor for her house.  Permanent flooring has a direct effect on the health of the family in that it reduces the parasitic load caused by living directly on the soil.  Funds were provided by FFF to pay school fees, and purchase clothing and books for her daughter, allowing her to be educated in the local school.  Monthly food donations allowed Hipolita to worry less about how to feed her family.  FFF was able to purchase a pig and several turkeys for her to breed and sell their offspring for income.

Finding Security and Sharing Hope

Through Hipolita’s hard work and perseverance, she has been able to build a flock of chickens and turkeys which lay eggs that can be used for both food and income.  Local villagers have been able to purchase offspring from her flock this allows others to also have food and income from raising and selling chicks.  Hipolita was able to purchase a pair of piglets for $12 that she raised and bred.  She sold the piglets for $200.  The income from the litter of pigs allowed her to purchase a small plot of land.  Hipolita was able to hire help to plant the corn and beans on the plot allowing others to work and earn an income as well.  In March of 2021, she harvested the beans and corn; this new food source allowed her to become self-sufficient for food for the first time.  Economically empowered women exert an inspiring, positive influence over both their own lives and the lives of their families and often their entire community benefits.  Hipolita was able to influence many other lives through the help she herself received from FFF.

“The strength of a mother

is the foundation

on which a family thrives.”

–  J.K. Rowling

(GUATEMALA)

Meet Odilia

Odilia was a 47-year-old widow living in Mixco, Guatemala. After 15 years of employment as a seamstress in a factory, she lost her job due to the pandemic.  Odilia cared for her high-school aged son and her elderly mother who was blind and bedridden.  Her mother required round-the-clock care and was entirely dependent on Odelia. Without any income, this family has struggled with food insecurity and a lack of phone service for Sergio to do on-line classes. Odilia attempts to raise income by washing clothes for neighbors which sometimes earned her $2-4/ week.

Hoping for a Bright Future

This family was intelligent, resourceful, and hard-working. Odilia’s goal was to keep Sergio in school until he graduated and then he could help support the family.  FFF understood that assisting this family would help keep Sergio in school, potentially allowing him to be the first high school graduate in his three-generation family. This would enable him to someday be the main wage earner in the household.  As a young man of a single mother living in the slums of Guatemala, Sergio was a prime candidate for grooming from neighborhood gangs.  His mother’s hope was that he could escape that fate.

Making Progress with Assistance and Education

FFF was able to help the family overcome some of their troubles with financial and emotional support.  Early on support included supplying the elderly grandmother’s medications before her death in 2022. While Sergio was in school, the family qualified for food donations 6 times a year from FFF which helped Odilia manage their food insecurity. In addition, they received a water filter and medications to assist with keeping the family healthy.  

At one point, Odelia was in danger of losing her house over an unpaid electric bill of $350 that she was far beyond her ability to pay. By assisting with the payment, FFF brought paid the account and she has been able to keep up with the monthly charges since then.

FFF located and donated a used computer to help Sergio, who was an exemplary student, with his high-school studies; phone service was also provided.  After he graduated from high school, we were then able to enroll him in a two-year FFF scholarship program to educate him as a junior Carpenter.  

Sergio completed his higher education within craftsman school in Fall 2023.  FFF supplied him with basic carpentry tools so he could practice his trade as a handyman to his community.  This had the added benefit of helping to improve the greater community they live in.  

The Reward of Hard Work and Perseverance

Odelia and her son are both currently employed and helping each other with living expenses.  Odelia cleans office buildings for $7 a week.  Additionally, with a sewing machine gifted to her by FFF, she has been able to earn a few dollars a week doing basic sewing and repairs.  Sergio is working as a tradesman doing carpentry work and will be able to help support both himself and his mother when she is elderly.

As a young man of a single mother living in the slums of Guatemala, Sergio was at high risk for not completing school and falling into a life poverty and potentially crime. By keeping him enrolled in school and supplying the family with the basic necessities, we were able to support this family and help his mother ensure that Sergio was healthy and educated.   This set him on a secure path to allow him to earn his own income to support his mother now and in the future.

In the spring of 2024, FFF awarded Sergio a small scholarship to proceed to the next educational level in his field.

Figure 1:  Odilia’s home in Guatemala

Figure 2:

Sergio with his computer helping with

his education  

Figure 3:  Odilia and Sergio at Sergio’s

craftsman school graduation in 2023