But the needs are still great. Every small village is still full of vulnerable huts. And there is just not enough money for many to rebuild on their own. The economies of many of the small towns are still almost at a subsistence level with many of the villagers still catching, trapping, shooting or growing their daily food. Even modestly paying jobs are hard to come by. So it can take 7 or 8 years for a family to build a concrete-block house, a block at a time as they can afford to purchase the blocks. But when it comes to the concrete roof, it's kind of like a barn-raising in rural America; a lot of help is needed for a short time to get the beams on the roof, raise and set the blocks on the beams, temporally support the roof with wooden poles and then mix, lift, spread and trowel the wet concrete to cover the entire surface of the roof. Once the roof work is started it has to be completed.

Then there's the cost of the materials for the roof. And that's where Mano Amiga comes in. They provide the materials, the tools and the labor for a concrete roof. And in a single day, gives a family a gift that will last for generations. We build roofs but we also help with clothing, educational materials, jobs, Christian education, health, water supply, sanitation, vocational education, food, medical support and housing. But mostly we help with friendship... a friendly smile, a welcome hand and a Mexican style abrazo (hug) along with our prayers and willingness to help.