Guatemala - On February 21 and 22nd, President Alvaro Colom visited the highland departments of Guatemala. On Saturday 21th, one hundred and forty houses were handed over to an equal number of families affected by Tropical Storm Stan. These families had waited for three years to receive adequate housing after suffering great losses during Stan. The investment project amounted to 9.5 million quetzales.
President Alvaro Colom in the company of the First Lady, Sandra Torres de Colom, visited San Francisco el Alto, Totonicapán; El Tejar, Chimaltenango and Champerico, Retahuleu; places where the benefiting communities are located.
"We are delivering what we promised. We are working for the poor and to benefit the poor. I want to thank these people for having so much patience ... You have waited more than three years but now have you have your house, a house with all the dignity of basic services, "said the president in San Francisco el Alto, Totonicapan.
The new housing complexes carried the names of Chisiguán, San Miguel Morazán and Nueva Gomera. The houses have two bedrooms and a bathroom. The housing developments have basic services like sewers, drinking water and electricity. Moreover, these communities received stoves and wheelchairs for those in need.
The President also visited Santa Tomás, Quiche this weekend, to launch the program of the government subsidies to local families within the government program: "My Family with Progress".
The program "My Family with Progress" consists in the distribution of conditioned government subsidies in cash for poor families. The families that participate in the program have to send their children to school, keep them in school or comply with regular health check ups for the children.
Sources: Press Office Government of Guatemala
Photos: Office Government of Guatemala
