Catalino Colaj Otzoy, 35 years old, Long Way Home Crew

Catalino is a lifetime resident of Comalapa where he finished nine years of school. He married at age 20 and has six children, the last a set of twins. The family lives in a three-room house. A normal day means waking at 4:30 a.m. to retrieve water for his family from a source a kilometer away. He works from 6 a.m. until 4 p.m.

Work History

  • Corn farming his whole life
  • Sweet pea farming for 4 years
  • Masonry and carpentry since he was 15
  • Bread maker for 3 years
  • 7 years with the Ramada Inn in Guatemala City as a maintenance man
  • 12 years as a textile weaver
  • General laborer his whole life

Sponsor Catalino! Donate Monthly - $25/month | $50/month or:


Catalino believes Guatemala's greatest problem is poverty. Minimum wage is not enough to support his family and prices of goods are too high. He became unemployed in 2009, finding employment with LWH in October 2009.

Since October 2009 Catalino has learned:
Stucco Finishes Solar Shower Installation (He built one at his house!) Roofing with Concrete
Water Harvesting Construction with Tires (Cisterns and Retaining Walls) Pouring Concrete Slabs
Red Brick Patio Building Teamwork Construction with Earth Bags