Julio Cesar Gámez – Drew Estate Charities
Julio Cesar is the very first beneficiary from TECHO and Drew Estate Charities, his house was built in July 18th in 2011. Julio is sixty-five years old and lives with his nephew Jose Perez, who works six days a week in a tobacco factory, he is just twenty-two years old, but supports his uncle in anything he can.
Julio shared how he feels living in Oscar Gámez: “I like this neighborhood because it’s been improving, before it was a dangerous one but things have changed; for example, now we don’t have any gangsters around, there are groups of young boys hanging out in the corners, but they are not violent; the leader of the community is been helping, he walks around the streets and speak to the boys about their problems.
The housing project has also benefited us in a great way; a lot of families live in a decent place now.
When TECHO visited me first, my house was falling down, I didn’t have money to fix it either, it was made from old wood and we used to get wet every time it rain. We had to put buckets all over the house to pour the water out on the street, those were my nights and I couldn’t sleep well.
After a couple of weeks they told me I was the beneficiary of a new house, Jose and I felt very happy. TECHO explained us about the workshops and I participated in all of them; they taught us how to save money and made us be conscious about taking care of the house, they told us we also had to work a lot to get the house and it shouldn’t be a waste, we shouldn’t sell it as well. Jose managed to save all the money and we went to deposit in two amounts.
I remember when they came to leave the materials and the wood to build the house, and the next day they started working very early in the morning, Jose and I prepared the land for them. They built it on just two days! And only girls! Only my nephew joined them to help – he asked for the day off at the factory so he could be here. I’m so proud of them; they were the first group to finish a house, of the other 4 houses they were building that day. They were fast!
After the construction, they visited me a lot, they still do, the volunteers left very happy and are very friendly – they also call me sometimes. Even though they are young, they work a lot with the families and work hard to build the houses also. You can imagine: they leave their home for a whole week sometimes or the entire weekend, they come to different cities to meet new people and share this blessing with us. TECHO guys have something special, because they see the situations of the most in need and they start to work to help us improve. These are humanitarian people coming to help us, for me it was a great blessing from God.
We live in better conditions now, we can sleep in peace at night; if it rain or we have a storm, I know that we won’t get wet and we will be safe.
I want to let them know I’m thankful; they really work hard to help the poor. There might be people who don’t say thanks, but they have to know that God knows them in the heart, and will reward them. I also hope they keep working with those in need; helping others in Oscar Gámez, because this is a need, you might not see it as a need but having a house can be the greatest dream of all in a family.
I feel enormously happy and blessed! All this are blessings in these difficult times.
I give thanks to God first and TECHO guys and I want to tell all the people involved with the project: ‘Please keep working with them, and supporting them so they keep helping people like us. Not everyone remember there are people in need.’
Please consider donating if you have the means. Even the smallest donation is appreciated. Thank you from all of us at Drew Estate.
