September 18, 2009

Join us and help by joining others

As we begin the new fiscal year, Habitat for Humanity Argentina is embarking on a new approach and an exciting challenge: to increase our impact by involving more and more volunteers. The strategic plan includes housing solutions and opportunities based entirely on volunteer support and the efforts of the families. In this way we hope to beat the financial difficulties all organizations are facing, and reach even more families in times of growing need.

The first step of this approach is to build awareness in our society of the huge numbers of families living in severely inadequate conditions, and encourage others to join together to work towards a solution. As part of this idea, during August 40 volunteers took to the streets of down-town Buenos Aires to give passers by flyers of our awareness campaign. This took place in the center of the City of Buenos Aires for the National Day of Solidarity and the following weekend in the Recoleta district. Over 3000 people went home with a Habitat for Humanity flyer, and over 50 posters were put up in strategic positions.

Immediately after this visibility campaign, in the neighbourhood of La Boca, in the City of Buenos Aires, we organized an exhibition of the housing situation and needs, in a run-down derelict building which HPHA purchased as part of its “Recycling Urban Homes” project. By turning the building into a “case show”, and with the help of volunteers who designed and produced posters of the situation around the country and city, we were able to provide an impressive experience which had an emotional impact on most of our visitors.

Finally, at this time of year we close our yearly “Homes Fund”, thanking all those who have trusted us over this past year to invest their donations (large or small) in our various projects. This, together with the Rotating Fund, makes our ongoing work possible! And we are pleased to see that the more than 300 families paying back into the Rotating Fund continue to work hard not only to pay on time, but also to be a part of community development in their neighbourhoodl

We invite all our readers to become a part of HPHA, as volunteers, donors, or by involving more people who want to say no to the country’s housing problem.

Ana Cutts, National Director.

Exhibition: boarding houses in La Boca


Habitat for Humanity Argentina organized on September 5, 6, 12 and 13 an exhibition in a run down derelict building in the La Boca neighborhood with the aim of making its visitors aware of the City of Buenos Aires housing problem and encouraging them to be part of the solution.

After a thorough survey, HPHA acquired this building as an opportunity to transform vacant or ill-used urban space into apartments to rent to low income families. The new building is being designed to respect and reinterpret the identity of this historic and characteristic neighborhood of the port area of Buenos Aires. Whilst HPHA continues to seek funding for the building, volunteers turned the run down house into an exhibition with pictures, information and the recreation of a “typical” squatter or informal rental room. With the help of two families who are already part of the “Guided Rents” programme, a wood and tin room was equipped with bedding, kitchenware, tables, childrens play pen and the necessary plastic covering to protect clothes from the dripping ceiling.

According to the last national census in 2001, more than 110,000 people live in informal rent situations (cheap hotels, abandoned buildings or tenement houses), paying a regular rent for squalid and inadequate conditions with a toilet shared by over 20 people. To rent in the city of Buenos Aires, a family needs formal employment, upfront payments and a property in the city of Buenos Aires as collateral. This, clearly, excludes most low income families. In addition, due to the excess demand for rents, descendants of neighbouring countries, or families with small children are most often discriminated.

A video of the exhibition can be found on
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xpAd_QUIv08

Homes Fund. Year 2008-2009.


By María Sofía Mansur, volunteer
Another year has gone by, and Habitat for Humanity Argentina keeps growing, despite the difficult times which we have to go through. This continuous progress is the consequence of the trust and contributions we receive from many persons and institutions that are committed to HPHA’s mission.

HPHA’s Homes Fund is a fundamental pillar in the development of the organization’s goals. Thanks to these contributions, in cash or in kind, by individuals and institutions throughout our last fiscal year we have continued with HPHA’s mission and extended our work to many more people. We now have over 250 families who have been able to improve their housing conditions, and many more who have participated in different workshops, and were able to see that it is possible to improve their own living conditions and those of their community.

Thanks to all those who were part of the Homes Funds 2008-2009!

Family Group:
Ana Cutts; Catedral Anglicana San Juan Bautista Buenos Aires; Corbin and Zulema Wright; Elida Gándara; Iglesia Bautista Nordeste Santa Fe; José Fernando Colacilli; Katharine and Tim Dougherty; María Belén Sarmiento; María Constanza Ledesma; María Celina Malvazo; Mariana and Zack Sears; Marval O'Farrell y Mairal; Maximiliano Pereyra; Patricia Caviezel; Personal Oficina Nacional de HPHA; Ronaldo Hurley;; Sistemas y Soluciones SRL; Sociedad Bíblica Argentina; United Community Church; Visnja Drucker.
Mortar:
Cash contributions:
Alyssa M Vine; Ana Dougherty; Analía Bachor ; Andrés Romagnoli; Bárbara Bradford; Bruno Capalbo; Carolina Mansur; Cecilia Segovia; Comisión Arquidiocesana de Ecumenismo y Dialogo Interreligioso; Corbin and Zulema Wright; Elida Gándara; Elizabeth Strickland; Felipe Cartud; Flavio Berceruelo; Familia Strasser; Gretchen Hall; Joaquín Bilbao; José Fernando Colacilli; Leonardo Hernández; Lidia Fernández; Luis Arana Tagle; Lynn Ibañez; Marcelo Ortelli; María Celina Malvazo; Mariana Ortega; Mariano Colombo; Mariano Spitale; Marina Romere; Mark Foster; Martha Ureta; Martín Nazer; Maximiliano Pereyra; Milagros Bernabó; Patricia Cabot; Patricia Caviezel; Paul Hartley ; HPHA National Office; Rene Cutts; Roger Cortéz; Ronaldo Hurley; Santiago Valent; San Cristóbal Seguros; Silvia Leguizamón; Silvina Rodriguez Ponti; Stephanie Simonetta; Susanne; Thomas Dunbar; Vianney Osorio; Visnja Drucker
In kind donations:
Antonio and Viviana Castro Sánchez; Servicios Integrales S.A; Sociedad Bíblica Argentina
Foundations:
Cash contributions:
Ana Cutts, Cáritas Lomas de Zamora; Christopher Carpenter; Katharine and Tim Dougherty; María Constanza Ledesma; María Belén Sarmiento; Mariana and Zack Sears; Nicolás Vellón; Patricia Wall de Dougall; Pequeño Fondo Hogares Royal Belfast Academical Institution; Steve Crowell; Thai Lovers Restaurant
In kind donations:
BAXPA SA; Bez Propiedades; Graciela Adán y Asociados; Iglesia Bautista Nordeste Santa Fe; Leticia Prayon RH Profile; Sistemas y Soluciones SRL; United Community Church
Bricks:
Cash contributions:
Catedral Anglicana San Juan Bautista Buenos Aires; Little Homes Fund Lucky and Giving Campaign Ithaca; Theresa y Dennis Skelly
In kind donations:
Hotel Zavaleta
Roof:
In kind donations:
Ana Cutts; Marval O’ Farrell y Mairal
We invite you to join our Homes Fund, donating from $1 per month you can support HPHA’s mission!

Leaflets for adequate shelter on the Solidarity Day


In order to celebrate the National Solidarity Day, on Wednesday 26 of August and on Saturday 29, volunteers from Habitat for Humanity Argentina put on the blue t-shirt of our visibility campaign and took to the streets against inadequate housing, giving flyers to passers by in downtown Buenos Aires and in Plaza Francia, Recoleta. 6000 people were invited to become a part of the solution to this problem.

Thanks to the effort of 40 volunteers, more than 6000 people today know that they can join HPHA to help solve the serious country’s housing problem.

Square in Recreo


Families participating in the “Rise up and Build” project of Recreo, Santa Fe, have recently started a new project: the design and implementation of a public park. HPHA has provided the land, as part of the project through which 38 houses were built, and by facilitating meetings with the neighbours, the project has now taken off with the families as the key players in achieving their vision.

“Each meeting we are part of, is a new opportunity for growing and improving as a community. In these meetings we have learnt to cultivate beautiful and practical qualities which have given us satisfactions everyday, such as listening to others, respecting the ideas and needs of others” one of our neighbours wrote in the feedback of one of the meetings.

The park will have swings and slides donated by the city council, and plants, flowers and trees that neighbours will plant. Another team initiative has been to request that the public transport pass through this part of the city, and the street that cuts through the rows of houses has been named by the neighbours, (they chose the name “19 de diciembre”, which is the date when the first lot of houses were dedicated in 2008. Now, with the support of HPHA, they wish to make a public space come to life so as to have a recreation area for children, where adults may also have a place to gather to share a “mate”.

Brief News

Share your experience: We invite you to share your experience in HPHA. Contact us at comunicacion@hpha.org.ar
Read the experience of Ignacio Spitale, volunteer of the Communication Team, about the dedication to houses in Luján.


Lecture on Awareness at Beth School: on Monday 3rd August, when classes started, two representatives of HPHA carried out a lecture on awareness for seventh graders. Kids asked a lot of questions and showed great interest on learning more on Argentina’s housing problem and on the ways they can contribute for its solution.

Payment of Loans for Incremental Improvements: HPHA is proud to inform that two of its families in Santa Fe have been able to pay the installments of the incremental improvements for their houses. Thanks to their effort to pay in due time and form, more families will have the opportunity to solve their housing issue.

Looking ahead

- 21 of September. World Prayer Day for Human Habitat: Since 1983, Habitat for Humanity International has celebrated this day encouraging churches worldwide to pray on the third Sunday of September for those who live under unacceptable conditions and to advocate for adequate housing to become an awareness and action subject within the community of faith. We invite your church to join us!

- 30 of September. Round Table: In view of the World Habitat Day, HPHA and related organizations will hold a round table where different speakers will deliver their speeches on community development experiences.

- 6 of October. World Habitat Day: The United Nations has designated the first Monday of October every year as World Habitat Day to reflect on the state of human settlements and the basic right to adequate shelter for all. It is also intended to remind the world of its collective responsibility for the future of the human habitat.

A house made with effort


By Ignacio Spitale, communications volunteer.

In May in the city of Luján, more precisely in the “Los Gallitos” neighborhood the dedication of several houses took place, organized by the three families owning the new houses built within the Habitat for Humanity Argentina project “Building Homes”.

It was my first HPHA’s event, and being able to meet the families first hand was a great experience, since they welcomed me with such kindness and happiness that it promised to be a very warm morning.

When talking to Juan from the Farías Balderrama family, I realized what it is like to put all your efforts into striving for a better future and seeking opportunities that are given to us. They are seven people in this family and the couple is waiting for a new baby, but this doesn’t stop them from staying together as a family and thinking about the future day by day. “Habitat has given us a space for love” says Eva, Juan’s wife. She thanks the help given by the HPHA brigades so that they could be able to have their own house, and they don’t forget Father Luis Fornero from the San Cayetano Church who helped them get the land to start building.

In the event I had the chance to talk to Liliana from the Monzón Rodríguez family, who was very moved and shed some tears when she thanked everyone. Very openly she shared with me the difficult situation she and her family had to go through when almost from one day to the other they lost their property and didn’t know what to do next. It was then that HPHA gave them the opportunity, but it wouldn’t have been possible without their own effort and the community spirit in the neighborhood. “All the families here helped each other, which makes the relationship between neighbors improve and bonds grow” says Liliana.

Afterwards, Ana Cutts, the National Director, said a few words taking advantage of the occasion to thank those who have made this dream possible but reminding us all that “This is only a first step. Now these houses will be turned into real homes by the families that live in them”. With a round of applause families were congratulated.

At times like these, when there is so much debate about how to improve our way of life, I realized that it is the small actions that really change our way of thinking and encourage us to become more committed to helping others. that real change happens those which really make our way of thinking change and therefore be committed to help others. HPHA and these families show that it is possible.

June 18, 2009

Adapting to new realities

When confronting a complex social and economical climate, every organization from the civil society needs to adapt to the new financial context and overcome the scarcity of resources through new, creative and economical solutions which are still sustainable.

This is why Habitat for Humanity Argentina (HPHA) continues searching for innovative ways and cooperation with other organizations for each project, as well as receiving new volunteers, in order to sustain our work and the impact of our partner families.

The projects being developed during the first semester of this year are a response to the clear challenges the socio-economic context of our country presents. The Disaster Reponse in Tartagal project, managed by volunteers with the support of associations and donors, allowed us to reach more than 70 families by helping them clean their homes, supporting them and being present with them. The building acquired for “Recycling Urban Houses” in the City of Buenos Aires represents a significant step in the quest for sustainable urban solutions. The incremental improvement project “subsidized” in Santa Fe, whose funds were gathered by the families themselves, is a clear example on how important results can be achieved by fostering solidarity among communities.

We invite everyone who would like to join us once again, so that we can jointly help low-income families move forward at this very difficult moment.

Ana Cutts, National Director.

Disaster Response in Tartagal


Between February 28th and March 22nd HPHA volunteers were serving in Tartagal, Salta, coordinating the project for disaster response implemented by the organization in that locality after the landslide. With their support and the local community’s, the conditions of 74 houses from five of the high risk neighborhoods were improved.

Once the initial critical moments of the disaster came to an end, HPHA volunteers supported the families of the affected area with the process of returning to their homes. The interdisciplinary team included eight volunteers who worked together with a local group of volunteers, helping with cleaning tasks and supporting the families that were most in need among those affected.

On April 23rd a presentation that acknowledged the team work which enabled the project to take flight was held with the participation of volunteers, other organizations, HPHA staff and the National Board. Volunteers of the Disaster Response team prepared a video with pictures that they shared with the audience and could reflect the importance of the team work.

This project could not have been carried out without the donations from the “Humanitarian International Services Group” and from all the donors who contributed to the fund raising campaign through a bank account. The work carried out by HPHA was also made possible with support from Samaritana Stock Exchange, FUCRIBA, Pluspetrol, Clorox, Asociana and local churches.

“Recovering Urban Homes” now has a building


HPHA has recently bought a building in La Boca in order to get the “Recycling Urban Homes” program off the ground. With a studio-construction company already chosen to manage the project, the only step left is to start the construction!

“Recycling Urban Homes” represents an important advancement in HPHA’s work in the city of Buenos Aires. According to the United Nations, the human right to live in an adequate house means having access to a safe place to be warm, and having adequate space, security, illumination and ventilation, basic infrastructure and adequate resources with basic services, all of this at a reasonable cost”. Clearly, in the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires, as well as in other parts of the country, this human right is not respected.

The panorama that unfolds before our eyes, day by day, is hundreds of people living in precarious shacks made out of corrugated iron and cardboard, houses taken by groups of families living in overcrowded conditions, slums growing to the sky, people living in unacceptable conditions in hotels, guest houses and tenement houses, and hundreds living on the streets.

In addition to the physical conditions, there exists lack of hygiene, security and privacy, and these populations are excluded, as the city prefers to hide behind facades of antique buildings which are seriously deteriorated. With the “Recycling Urban Homes” project HPHA tries to transform these buildings into simple, safe, and healthy homes.

Families help more families


The families from the “Post flood repairing” project that took place in May 2007 in Santa Fe, paid an additional donation with each monthly installment which entered a fund that allowed HPHA to help a family in extreme need, that was affected by the floodings, with an incremental improvement. Thanks to them, the Ponce de León-Orduña family could get started, with the help of local volunteers, with the construction that will improve their house.

The Ponce de León-Orduña family lives in very humble conditions in a shack made out of precarious material. The head of the family suffers from a physical disability and if it weren’t for the help from the other Habitat families, they wouldn’t have been able to have the opportunity of improving their house because their income is not high enough to access a credit from HPHA.

Therefore, once again solidarity showed powerful results. The families from the “Post flood repairing” project built “More than houses”: with their effort and payment of monthly installments they have achieved a housing solution for themselves, for the families that will come later and for one more family. And they have sent a message of hope to the rest of society…

HPHA receives HPH Bolivia


Between April 24th and 28th HPHA received a group of staff and some volunteers from Habitat for Humanity Bolivia, with the goal of exchanging experiences. Unexpectedly, HPH Bolivia also brought very good news to the country: they had designated their 29,265 US$ tithe to HPHA.

HPH Bolivia’s visit in Argentina had a number of different moments of exchange between both teams. The experience started with a volunteer brigade in Luján, in which both Argentines and Bolivians joined efforts to help a family to build their home. The following day they went to the 22 de enero neighborhood in La Matanza, where HPHA has the “Incremental Improvement” project. There, they visited a group of their compatriots who invited them to a Bolivian community radio from the area to participate in an interview and to take the opportunity to spread Habitat’s mission.

The last day the group assisted a reception prepared by the Bolivian Ambassador, María Leonor Arauco Lemaitre. After that, a workshop was held so that the different areas from both organizations could exchange experiences. Everyone agreed to keep working together in common subjects, such as some projects in the North of Argentina and Southern Bolivia related to the chagas disease, and both made a commitment to stay in contact virtually.


At night, a farewell dinner was prepared and hosted by a volunteer from the National Board. Habitat for Humanity Bolivia’s National Director, Tito Lima Vacaflor, took the opportunity to hand over the tithe, represented in a delicate wooden engraving. HPHA’s National Director and National Board received it with great emotion, as it represents the opportunity to continue reaching more families.

Brief News

- Share your experience: We invite you to share your experience with HPHA by contacting comunicacion@hpha.org.ar

Read Paula Matheo's experiencie (volunteer in the “Little Bricks” workshop and part of the House Leaders Team)

- Habitat for Humanity International’s President in Argentina: Ron Terwilliger, HPHI volunteer and acknowledged estate agent developer, was in Argentina between February 9th and 10th, learning about HPHA’s programs. He also took the chance to meet with the United States Chamber of Commerce in Argentina (AMCHAM) and with the Construction Chamber of Argentina, with the goal of inviting the corporative sector to face the serious housing problem in the country.

- Brigades that involve the community: in March a brigade from St. Luke’s Church in Michigan, supported by Thrivent Financial, USA, was in Recreo, Santa Fe. In addition to helping families with the construction of their houses, the 31 volunteers contributed with materials and labor to paint a high school in an indigenous neighborhood while working together with the students. Furthermore, five professional doctors and therapists from the volunteer team exchanged experiences with the workers from the local community clinics.

- Students raise funds for a brigade: students from the Lincoln School in Buenos Aires organized a “dodge ball” tournament in order to raise funds to participate on a brigade with HPHA. Thanks to this event, 16 high school students were able to go to Recreo, Santa Fe and help families with the construction of their houses.

- Habitat changed habitat: HPHA’s National Office moved to Esmeralda 3430, Florida, Provincia de Buenos Aires (B1604DHH). The new phone numbers are (54 11) 4760-5810 and 4859-0154.

Serving others


By Paula Matheos

“Serving others is the wisest, smartest and most practical way of serving oneself.”
Bernabé Tierno

I was marveled at finding in one quote, the essence of what has led me to make certain decisions about my way of life through all of these years. Thanks to this Spanish author and psychologist I can summarize today so many feelings and internal needs that I express through the action for others. My life’s pillar has been and is my family, to whom I dedicate a big part of my energy. My labor activities, in the health area as well as in designing decoration elements, are also directed to people’s needs.

Habitat for Humanity Argentina came into my life to complete the circle of “serving” and transcend the limits of my home and work. Side by side next to families who dream with a housing solution, who fight day after day to turn their walls into the home they have always sought, allows me to renew the hope of more children growing with more than just their basic needs covered: that they can wake up, get together with their loved ones and dream with new challenges. In each of them I see a new person that will grow with the conviction of knowing that serving and helping others gives sense to our lives.

*Paula Matheos is a volunteer in the “Little Bricks” workshop and part of the House Leaders Team at Habitat for Humanity Argentina.

March 6, 2009

Habitat for Humanity Argentina assists families in Tartagal.

Building on its experience in post-flood situations in Santa Fe (2003), and following the example of HPHI (Habitat for Humanity International), Habitat for Humanity Argentina (HPHA) launched its first post-disaster volunteer fast-response assistance team after the mudslide which hit the city of Tartagal in the extreme north of Argentina.

HPHA selected and sent a team of volunteers to provide immediate assistance to families trying to clean their houses of the mud and filth left by the floods. An amount of U$S 10,000 was raised for cleaning equipment and U$S 300 made available from HPHI for general expenses. The team will stay in Tartagal for 2 weeks, coordinating the efforts of local volunteers, supported by local government and church members.


Ideally, HPHA would like to extend and expand these activities as the need is great and it will take considerable time for the city to recover but we need help with funds for this. If you would like to contribute please contact
tartagal@hpha.org.ar or call (54 11) 4792 2739 / 4793 4383.

The team of volunteers includes two architects, a social psychologist, a student journalist and two technicians with experience from previous floods.

Volunteer’s Day




On December 5th, International Volunteer’s Day, HPHA Argentina's National Office organized an event to recognize the work of individual volunteers.

More than 20 volunteers attended the event and it was an opportunity to get to know each other. Those who attended included volunteers who lead construction brigades; those who help with communication tools; those who provide legal literacy workshops and the “Little Bricks” workshop; as well as others who have contributed in different ways, such as those who helped produce HPHA’s institutional video, promoted the Fundraising Dinner of 2008, and photographers. The "Bring and Share" evening event began with an ice breaker game after which Carolina Mansur, Coordinator of Community Mobilization, spoke about the significance of the World Volunteer Day and the ongoing and quiet work of HPHA's volunteers. The National Director, Ana Cutts, then thanked those present who are such an important part of Habitat for Humanity Argentina’s work. Finally, certificates were given out, and the institutional video was shown.

End of year festivities




In Luján Christmas parties for all the families who are part of HPHA were held before Christmas. A bring and share dinner was organized in the Catholic Parish of Santa Elena in Luján and an inflatable castle and table football in the church garden entertained kids, while parents talked together. The venue was decorated with balloons, colored posters and pictures of the year's activities. The institutional video and a presentation by the local office brought tears to the eyes of those present as they remembered important moments of 2008. Finally, as everyone enjoyed the home-made food, families wrote down their hopes for the coming year.

In Santa Fe, families from Recreo and Santa Fe, staff and volunteers from the National Office, members of the municipal government of Recreo and Santa Fe, the police band and the priest Scatizza, who gave the blessing to the homes, were present at the dedication of 19 homes. The dedication took place before a Christmas celebration with the traditional Argentine Christmas Cake (Pan Dulce). The children of the “Little Bricks” project performed a Nativity scene. Finally, the gift of a Bible was given to each home owner.

All these events, in both Lujan and Santa Fe, were organized and coordinated by the families from different HPHA projects, with the support of HPHA staff. Families from the newest families joined those who have now been living in their new or improved homes for several years.

Argentine Baptist National Confederation

In June 2008 Habitat for Humanity Argentina (HPHA) and the Argentine National Confederation of Baptist Churches (CEBA) signed an agreement. Its aim is to offer improved housing to families living in inadequate housing. HPHA’s methods will be implemented by Baptist Churches. Through this project it is hoped to reach families outside the areas where HPHA has offices, and in remote rural areas.

In this way we hope to capitalize and learn from the first Habitat for Humanity projects. HPHA recognizes the need for strategic, efficient projects where the housing deficit is great, but we do not want to forget the needs of those living in remote areas, where groups of local volunteers led by local churches can work together to improve housing. Churches will have their own local offices, and - in their own time and on a small scale - will develop the "family by family" approach.

HPHA hopes to attract funding for these projects from Churches around the world wishing to sponsor a family or a local church’s work. We appeal particularly to Baptist congregations around the world and hope to establish partnerships whereby the local Argentine church provides volunteers and oversight, while the overseas church provides funding and, where possible, a Global Village team. This is our dream and our prayer!

The first two projects selected come from churches in the province of Formosa, Northern Argentina and from Moreno in the metropolitan area of Buenos Aires.
Both projects were identified by churches originally moved to assist a very needy family from their own community.
For more information about these projects, the families and how to sponsor a church, please write to our National Board Secretary, Patricia Caviezel (
caviezp@fibertel.com.ar) or acutts@hpha.org.ar

HPHA works in association with all churches because it aims to follow the example of Jesus Christ’s care and compassion as shown in the Bible as do Christian churches! Habitat’s founder, Millard Fuller, in his book “The Theology of the Hammer” explains the setting aside of religious differences to put faith in action so that those less fortunate might have a decent home in which to grow and experience God’s love.

Habitat Tent in La Matanza




*By Karen Urdaniz, volunteer in the Communications team

On January 17th staff from the Buenos Aires Office initiated a project “Habitat Tent”. This event took place in the “22 de enero” neighborhood of La Matanza and volunteers, HPHA employees and friends from the community all joined together. The name “Habitat Tent” comes from the biblical passage Isaiah 54:2 “Enlarge the place of your tent, stretch your tent curtains wide, do not hold back; lengthen your cords, strengthen your stakes”.

The “Incremental Improvements” project to be carried out in the neighborhood was explained. It will be possible for selected families to receive a loan of approximately $4000 pesos, to repair or improve their home. Each family who receives a loan is responsible for the implementation of their home improvement, but they are encouraged to maximize the loan by comparing different estimates, without forgetting the price-quality equation. Humberto, whose family was one of the first to benefit from these loans, described how it had helped him. Analía Bachor, Community Promotion Coordinator, encouraged those present to build much more than houses; and to help build community.

During the discussions the children enjoyed a “Little Bricks” workshop. Later, three volunteer architects gave some home owners help with technical matters regarding their constructions, and made recommendations to help avoid accidents. Some of the buildings were very precarious and risked the lives of those families who live there. To one family the architect said, “The bathroom is very insecure; taking a shower here is as dangerous as an electric chair!” Later, Andrés Maidana Habitat Legal Coordinator, explained: “We are here to give as much information as possible to assist and empower the families”.

“Sol de Pan” is a small enterprise in which four families cook together in a solar oven lent by the NGO “Microenergía”. They provided the group with empanadas, “sopa paraguaya” and small pizzas which were much appreciated.
Viviana, one of the members said, “We want to keep on working and growing to make a bakery”. After the meal the Financial Literacy Workshop met in the Fundación Concordia’s office, (this organization works in association with HPHA in the neighborhood.) Each family completed a survey, including topics such as how to organize the family economy, ways of saving, benefits and risks of taking a credit, spending and investing, and necessary and unnecessary expenses. In the meantime, the children of the families learned how to grow food from seeds and small plants. The children were enthusiastic and took the plants to their homes, where they will continue to take care of them.

The day was successful; from better understanding of the needs of the neighborhood to giving support to more families and encouraging the participation in the community, and making contact with other organizations from the area. In these ways the family of Habitat for Humanity Argentina keeps growing.
· Share your experience in HPHA
If you have been a volunteer or participated in any event or activity with Habitat for Humanity Argentina, please write about it in our newsletter. Many people come and help in the organization, and by recording your experiences you can encourage many more! Help us by telling us about your visit so we can promote our work.


Read Patricia Caviezel's experience

· Help us with a donation
If you want to donate to the Homes Fund you can now do it with your debit or credit card through our secure form. Each contribution, regardless of the amount, helps a family improve their quality of life. Join the Homes Fund and give your support to families in need of a place to call home.

Looking ahead… please note these dates:

March 14th Ambassadors brigade

March 21st Monthly brigade. You can participate by sending an email to brigadas@hpha.org.ar

Patricia Caviezel's experience



It was a crisp winter day when José Colacilli, HPHA board president, and I, as secretary, set out for Santa Fe on a very important mission. We went to sign the deeds and mortgages for nine Habitat families from Santa Fe and Recreo.

As we drove, I wondered what the families were thinking, how they were feeling about being home owners. We passed shanty towns, one after another, I wished we could help all of those people too. We passed neat, white houses that must be part of public housing developments. Habitat is not the only organization that helps people build their home.

Once we arrived at the bright, new Habitat Santa Fe office we were greeted by Mariano Moreno, head of the Santa Fe office, and the families anxiously awaiting the paper that would make them official owners of their new homes. The families participated in different programs: from the Pilot Project the Socías and Oyola families, from the Proyecto Crecer the Correa, Toranzo, Corrales, Ayala and Vazquez familias, from the Proyecto Levantemonos the Santiyú, Chocala and Ramírez Junges families.

Mariano Colombo took pictures of the group while we got settled and José said a few words about the importance of this day. The notary, Claudia Culzoni, was already there with the deeds neatly tucked in her briefcase. Then, one at a time each family stepped into the back office to sign their name to the deed. Claudia carefully explained each page of the contract to each person present. She asked for questions then handed them the pen to sign. Many emotions filled that room, happiness, responsibility, concern, nervousness, relief, pride, success and hope. Hope that this would be the first day of the best part of their lives. José and I shook everyone’s hands and gave them a kiss and congratulated these people who worked hard to make a dream come true, who wanted a home of their own and made it possible with a little help from their friends.

José and I had to leave right away if we wanted to get back to BA before dark so we had to refuse Mariano’s invitation to visit Recreo but we did see a map of that neighborhood. There are homes built with HPHA’s help filling one whole block, and half of two other blocks. I couldn’t help thinking about the first house we built in Lujan in 2003. What a struggle it was but how much we learned since them. I have to smile because now, in the year 2008 we can actually say we are changing the face of a town but we all know this is just the beginning.