Karla Aviles Rugama is 38 years old and grew up on Santa Celia Farm, where she worked everyday for 32 years. She continued to live and work on the farm as she got older, eventually marrying and having four children: three daughters and one son. The six of them shared a room, along with Karla's brother, and they lived without electricity or clean water.
Sadly, Karla's husband abandoned their family, leaving Karla alone to raise four young children while living in inhumane conditions. This, of course, made her financial situation even worse, and caused Karla an immeasurable amount of stress and frustration.
Karla joined the Rainbow Network community committee, and began to set her sights on a house and getting her children a quality education. As she worked all day long, the children at first stayed home on the farm. Soon, they were sent to school, but due to the hardships of their home life, they failed out.
Karla's dream came true when she was selected as a beneficiary in the housing project of New Santa Celia. She started her own garden and has worked tirelessly to expand the farm. She farms a variety of crops, such as banana, pumpkin, alligator squash, taro, beans, corn, and coffee.
Karla no longer feels the immense pressure and stress of providing for her family under harsh circumstances. She has benefited greatly from the Rainbow Network housing and job training programs, and her children are taking advantage of the newfound opportunity to attend school thanks to the Rainbow Network education programs.
Currently, three of Karla's children are busy studying. Wester, who is 16 years old, is a scholarship student in the Rainbow Network; he is in the second year of high school. He studies on Saturdays so he can help his mother on the farm in his spare time. 14-year-old Seneyda is in fifth grade while her younger sister Sindy, who is 11, is in third grade. All of them are doing well in school.
Life is much calmer for Karla and her family. Her children particularly like the gardens because they make the house even more beautiful and provide their family with a variety of meals and a source of sustainable income. They are happy living in this new home where their lives have changed for the better.
