Year 4, Volume 2: Santa Fe

The Rotating Fund Bares Fruit

In Recreo, Santa Fe, families, donors, volunteers and HPHA friends gathered together to celebrate a very special event. On Wednesday October 24, 15 homes were dedicated for HPHA families. Among these homes was the first house financed entirely by the Rotating Fund. This fund is made possible thanks to the families who pay their monthly quotas, which in turn gives other families a chance to have a home of their own. In order for this system to work it is essential that each family makes a commitment to pay their quota each month. At this event the families received special mention for their contributions to the fund.

It was an especially important experience because, not only were the families included but also, volunteers from Global Village, HPHA national and local office personnel, local suppliers, friends and local government officials attended. There were speeches by personnel and friends. The Intendent maintained that the word Habitat is synonymous with dignity. He also mentioned that the Global Village members came to help in Recreo in order to fulfill a need of theirs. The children who participated in the Little Bricks (Ladrillitos) program performed a delightful play showing how the Rotating Fund works and highlighting the importance of paying into the Fund.

The members of the Global Village Group who came from Canada, Trinidad Tobago and the United States had an opportunity to give their testimony about what it was like working in Argentina. They found their one week’s work, adding finishing touches to the house being dedicated that day, very gratifying.

The Oyola and Arce families who were two of the beneficiaries of the houses dedicated that day, gave their testimonies about how it felt to finally have a real house. They agreed that this was the answer to their dream: to have a home where they felt comfortable and they could live a healthy life.

To close this typical Folklore festival there was music and tortas fritas (fry cakes) made by the women in the Habitat families. Everyone at the party pledged to continue the work in Recreo inaugurating many more houses with the Rotating Fund. There is a great demand in Recreo for low cost housing which reaches those families in need in the coming years. Habitat for Humanity is here to stay in Recreo.

Mariano Moreno

Local Coodinator

HPHA Santa Fe office