El Trapiche Housing Project

The community of El Trapiche is an excellent example of a Rainbow Network housing project. Twenty five families received a new home as part of this project.

El Trapiche, Nicaragua is a community of approximately 250 people. It is nestled in the mountains region surrounding Managua, the surrounding heals protecting it somewhat from the effects of the noxious fumes often emitted by nearby volcanoes. The community members produce basic grains, cut firewood, and sell charcoal in the El Crucero and Managua markets.

Below are some basic profiles of the 20 families selected to receive a new home and committed to working to build and pay for their new house.

Maria Auxiliadora Puerto Gutiérrez is 55 years old. She lives with her youngest children in the wooden shack pictured here. Ten of Maria’s 13 children now have families of their own.

Candida Mercedes Moran and her family live in the scrap metal and wood shack pictured here. The family consits of Candida, her husband Ramon, and their son Nixon. Nixon attends the government school in the morning and a Rainbow Network village school in the afternoons.

María Victoria Altamirano Ramírez is 30 years old. She and her husband Lino have three children. Lino works as a laborer in nearby fields to support the family. The children all study during the mornings in the government school, Joselin (13) is in 6th grade, Maycol (8) is in second grade and Luisa (4) is in preschool and during the afternoons they all attend the Rainbow school.

Diana Patricia Baltodano Puerto is 19 years old. Her husband’s name is Arlen and they have three children. The very old wooden shack in which the family lives is in quite poort condition. Arlen is a field worker. Diana is caring for their infant child, Dalia. Their eldest,  also named Diana, is four years old and attends the Rainbow Network school. Their second named for his father Arlen, is two years old.

Sandra Espinoza Puerto and her husband Bayardo Rocha have two children. Eight members of their family live in their small wooden shack in El Trapiche. Bayardo works in the fields. The children are Izayana who is 5 and attends Rainbow school classes in the afternoons and Jilton who is 2 months old.

Juan Antonio Altamirano Hernández is 32 years old and lives with his wife, Delia Maria, in the wooden house pictured here. They have one child, Juan de Dios, who is three months old.

María del Carmen Orozco Meza is 35 years old and lives with her husband, Jose Angel Ramirez, and their two children. Their home is constructed of old wood planks and plastic sheeting. Jose Ramirez works the land and Maria is a homemaker, their son Miguel is 18, he is in high in his final year of high school and Elian is 10 and is in 5th grade.

Lorenzo Puerto Narváez lives with his wife, Irene Lopez Sequeira, in the wooden house pictured here. The floor is dirt and regularly floods turning into mud. Five of Lorenzo and Irene’s ten children still live with their parents.

Marlene Calero Narváez and her husband, Medardo Jarquin, live with their 3 children in this home. The structure is damaged and no longer safe. Medardo works the land and Delia is a homemaker. They have 3 children: Geovania is 15, Erling is 12 and Johan is 8.

Donald de Jesús Mercado Cruz has four children along with his wife Olga del Carmen. Though they live in this house, it does not belong to them. Donald works for a landowner as a caretaker. Their children are: Karen (10), Isabel (9), Jessenia (8) and Jenny, they all attend the government school during the mornings and attend the Rainbow Network school during the afternoons.

Leonel Altamirano Hernández and his wife, Angelica Rivera, have three children. Leonel is 35 years old. This family of five lives in the wooden structure pictured here. Leonel is a field worker. The children study in the morning and the government school. Delmin, the eldest, is 16 years old and is in her 1^st year of high school, Keylin is 15 years old and she is in her 4^th year of elementary school and Leonel is 10 years old and he attends the Rainbow Network primary school in the afternoons.

Carlos Manuel Sequeira is 41 years old. His wife’s name is Dayra Elena and together they have two children. Ervin is 6 and Diego 3, both attend preschool and during the afternoon they attend Rainbow Network´s primary school.

Blanca Rosa Puerto Jarquín is 22 years old. Her husband’s name is Hector Rivas and together they have two children, twin little girls. They do not own the house where they live. Hector works the land and Blanca is a homemaker, their childrens’ names are Rebeca and Jennifer both are 2 years old.

Jamileth del Socorro Miranda Puerto is 41 years old and lives with her husband, Raul Gadea, and their two children in the shack pictured here. Raul is a taxi driver and Jamileth is a homemaker. Their son, also named Raul, attends the government school in the morning, he is 7 years old and in the second grade. In the afternoons he attends Rainbow Network´s primary school.

Eliesar Cruz Gutiérrez is 37 years old. He and his wife, Hoenia del Carmen Ampie, have three children. Both Eliesar and Hoenia work as laborers in nearby fields. The children study during the morning in the government school. Esmeralda is in her first year of high school, Maria is 13 and she is in 5th grade and Gabriela is 8 and she is in the 3rd grade. During the afternoons the two of the attend the Rainbow Network school.

Rolando José García Mora and his wife, Odalyis Guerrero Calero, have three children. Seven members of their family live with them in the house a wooden house. One of the three children, Estefany, (9) is in the third grade and during the afternoons attends the Rainbow Network School.

Ricardo Antonio Puerto Narváez is 37 years old and lives with his wife, Arelis Cruz Gutierrez, and their three children in the wooden shack pictured here. Uriel works both as a laborer in nearby fields and also as a bricklayer. Arelis is a homemaker. One of the children studies during the mornings in the government school, his name is Ruben. Ruben is 9 years old and is in 4th grade. Morelia, his sister, is also a Rainbow student, she is 14 and is in the third year of high school. Morelia volunteers as a teacher at the Rainbow Network school. Sebastian is in the second year of high school and is 12 years old.

Angela del Socorro Narváez Gago is 41 years old. She lives with her husband, Santos Calero, and their child, also named Santos. Santos is a farmer and Angela is a homemaker.

Magda Erica Puerto Gutiérrez lives with her husband, Juan Fransico. She is 25 years old. Their daughter, Kimberling, is 18 months old. Juan Fransico works as a driver to support the family.

Now, you’ve met the families who will be receiving homes in El Trapiche. This housing project is made possible through a partnership between Rainbow Network and Cross International.