Dangerous Homes

9-year-old Roberto has moved around a lot in his young life, ever since his father deserted the family.    Margo his mother, was forced to live in abandoned houses like this. It was the only option she had.  

“Some nights I was not able to sleep thinking that house would fall apart at any moment,” said Margot.

So Margot and her four children moved in with Roberto’s uncle and his family.  

“We all had to sleep in the same room on the floor,” recalled Roberto.

They were only supposed stay with Roberto’s uncle for few days.  Three years later they still lived there and couldn’t afford to rent a house of their own.    

“My uncle told my mom to get out,” Roberto told us. “So we packed all of our belongings and left.”

“My son saw me crying and he asked me where we would go, I just told him to pack everything because we had to go,” added Margo.

Their next place to stay was under someone else’s house on stilts. People build their houses on stilts in Iquitos, Peru because for three months out of every year, this dry area turns into a flood plain.  The Amazon tributary rises between ten to fifteen feet.  

“My biggest fear was that the water might rise suddenly we would drown,” said Margo.

Roberto knew what came next.

“When the river rose, we had to move again,” he said.    

Each year Operation Blessing builds house for homeless families in this region in Peru.   The government gave Roberto’s mom a small tract of land and we built them a brand new house.   

“I really liked my bedroom,” said Roberto.  "My siblings and I have our own beds to sleep on. My mom said that this house is a blessing from God to us!”

“I am excited because I now have my own house and we won’t have to move from place to place anymore,” said Margo.  “Thank you, Operation Blessing, I have no words to express my gratitude!”