When Comunidad Connect first met Reyna Suárez Rizo, she was living in an improvised zinc shelter with her partner and two young daughters. The family had lost their home and livelihood after the farm they worked on closed unexpectedly. With no savings and a high-risk pregnancy, Reyna was doing everything she could to keep her children safe while her partner relied on temporary jobs and fishing to get them through each day.
Their living conditions quickly became dangerous. Heavy rains soaked the fragile structure, triggering severe asthma attacks and tachycardia in their five-year-old daughter, who had to be hospitalized. Reyna's pregnancy also became more complicated. The family had no bathroom, relying instead on a deep dirt pit near the house with a tire as a toilet seat, an unsafe and unsanitary situation that threatened their health, especially during dengue season. Every day brought new worry: illness from mosquito-infested puddles, accidents near the pit, and the constant struggle to protect their children.
When local brigadistas reached out to Comunidad Connect, we visited the family and committed to helping. Thanks to the support of caring partners, Reyna received a safe new home before the next wave of heavy rains.
But one need remained: a bathroom.
Reyna shared how much a real toilet would mean for her children's health and safety. Inspired by her resilience and constant community service, we moved forward to build her one. Today, that bathroom is built. The dangerous pit is gone. Her children have a clean, secure place to live, and Reyna faces the future with far less fear and far more hope.
Reyna's story is one of perseverance and partnership. It shows how a home and a simple toilet—basic, dignified, essential—can transform a family's daily life and protect their health. And it reminds us why community-driven projects matter: because when we stand with families like Reyna's, things truly get better.
