Villa Hermosa Floor Project

The concrete floor project was one of my favorites. Like all of our projects, concrete floors improve health conditions, but what made this project different was its effect on the overall happiness of the participating families.

Doña Gloria, Don Valentin and their six children lived in a one room corrugated tin shack with dirt floors. We first met them when they participated in our improved wood burning stove project. Their sincere desire to improve their living conditions and Don Valentin's construction experience influenced our decision to build our first floor with them.

It took two 12-hour days and about $100 to complete the floor. The family contributed about 40% of the cost and donors subsidized the remainder. The entire family worked hard for those two days. The eight-year-old girl sifted sand, the grandfather shoveled concrete, and the five-year-old boy helped finish the surface.

The night after we finished the floor, the six children in the house insisted on sleeping on the hard concrete.