Carlos and Concepción Rodriguez
If you don’t own land or have the means to purchase it, you are at the mercy of your landlords or the people whose land you live upon. For Carlos and Concepción and their two boys, building a house with The Fuller Center will mean a permanent place to live. It might also be a way to lift themselves out of poverty by starting a small business in their new home.
Concepción met Carlos when she was only 15. They have two sons now: Carlos Armando, age five, and Erick Jefferson, age one. Concepción never met her father, who abandoned the family when she was only a baby. She was brought up by her mother and had to start working when she was only six so she and her mom had enough money.
Carlos is also no stranger to extreme poverty and hardship. He has worked in endless jobs in the countryside. He knows about sugar cane and corn. He has also worked in construction, building houses and digging wells in the neighborhood.
The family has lived in the village of Santa Clara for seven years on a piece of land owned by Cooperative Santa Clara. The land is not for sale, and they are not members of the cooperative. The tin shacks in their neighborhood were previously used by the truck drivers that used to worked for the Cooperative. The Cooperative wants the land back and has asked the family to look for another place to live.
The Rodriguez’s house is a one-bedroom tin shack with almost no ventilation. During the day, the heat is so unbearable that it’s impossible to stay inside. At night it’s dangerous to have the doors open, so they have to sleep in suffocating, stagnant air. The tin roof leaks during the rainy season.
Carlos’ income is seasonal and unsteady. He is very close to the family’s pastor and is helping him plant a cornfield, which will help bring in a bit of extra money.
Concepción is a hard worker. She helps her mother-in-law make quesadillas, tamales and tortillas and sells them. What little money she makes is used to buy food for her children. She would like to open a small business at home, making and selling her own food, but she doesn’t have the space now.
The family feels blessed to be part of The Fuller Center program. Their new house will not only be a home, but also a community where they will feel welcome for the rest of their lives.
Step inside the house and neighborhood of Carlos and Concepción.
