Pictured above: Clearing the debris in the aftermath of the fire at La Terminal market, Guatemala City.
In early December, Toybox's local partner, Puerta de Esperanza, reported that a fire had broken out in La Terminal market in Guatemala City. Eleven spaces in total were affected, including homes where three families involved in a Toybox-supported project lived. The fire completely destroyed the houses, with the families losing all their belongings, including vital identification documents.
Following the fire, Puerta de Esperanza shared that the affected families stayed overnight at the market guarding their spaces, fearing that the market administration — known for reclaiming spaces and reselling them at a higher cost —would take them away if they were left unattended. The families were also left unable to work and earn an income while they cleared the rubble and debris left by the fire.
Supporting familes to rebuild
Roz Elliott, Toybox's Programme Manager for Latin America commented, "Thanks to the ongoing generosity of our incredible supporters, Toybox was able to quickly respond to the situation at the market, providing an emergency grant for our local partner. The funds have enabled the purchase of essential materials to support the affected families, helping them to rebuild their homes and replace their essential ID documents."
Once the building materials had been acquired, the families coordinated a system where each night, a representative from each household took turns to guard the raw materials to ensure that nothing was stolen and the families could begin to rebuild their home.
Pictured below: Families carrying raw materials purchased to rebuild their homes lost in the fire at La Terminal market.
Speaking after the fire, 16 year old project participant, Silvia shared, “The day the fire happened I was very scared because I didn't know what was going to happen after seeing everything destroyed. I felt sad because my school uniform was burnt. Although I know that the material can be recovered, the memories and my personal belongings were taken by the fire. The support that Toybox and Puerta de Esperanza gave us was very important to me. I'm very grateful because I’m now studying in my uniform and I feel happy and safe.”
Petronilla, an Educator at the project reflected, “Thanks to the support of Toybox and Puerta de Esperanza, Silvia’s family feel supported and sheltered. They are grateful that having lost everything, they have been able to rebuild their home and obtain beds and a table. As a team, seeing them happy again, fills us with satisfaction.”
Pictured below: Family members receive replacement beds and tables, after losing all their posessions in the fire.
