The start a new era

The Recycling Urban Homes project in La Boca has begun the Neighbourhood Development stage, working in partnership with local NGO’s and conducting a series of workshops for families in the neighborhood.  As the building in Hernandarias 674 advances, we continue to strengthen the ties in the neighbourhood.

The team, Alejandro Fernández and volunteer Dietlinde Wouters, are leading the program of Human Development workshops for families in the neighborhood. I n partnership with Forge Foundation,  we hope to corroborate the fundamental housing problems in La Boca through the point of view of the people living there.

An average of ten families have participated throughout the different sessions of this first program comprised of workshops that have addressed themes of housing and community, family budgeting, and assisted rentals. 

Childhood begins at home - Fundraising campaign

In early October, Hábitat para la Humanidad Argentina (HPHA) re-launched the fundraising campaign titled “Childhood Begins at Home.” As part of the construction event that took place during the first two weeks of last month, we continued towards the goal of 2,800 virtual bricks needed to finance one home.

Boys and girls cannot reach their full potential without the safety and stability of a secure home. They need a place where they can grow strong and healthy, do homework, spend time with their family, and create a space than can be their own.

In April, the campaign had raised U$D 470 thanks to the collaboration of Argentines and friends living in Australia, Costa Rica, Canada, England, France, Norway, Spain, Switzerland, and the United States.   In the last month we have reached 1.127 bricks in total, or U$D 5.744.

We are about half way there!  Please help us reach our goal!

It’s simple!

1 Brick = AR$25

2,800 Bricks = 1 Adequate Home

Add your brick at http://goo.gl/UEYbh and help the children of our country enjoy a fulfilling childhood!!

Paterson Habitat for Humanity

In late August, we welcomed a team of friends, the Paterson Habitat for Humanity affiliate that has supported our program over the last five years with tithes from their local revenues. Fulfilling the dreams of both organizations, a team of 14 volunteers arrived in Buenos Aires to spend a week of construction in La Matanza, Buenos Aires. As an affiliate, before the trip, they made a commitment to raise funds financing three Seed Houses, one of which they helped build in their week in Buenos Aires. The leaders of the team were Barbara Dunn, executive director of the affiliate, and Donna Brightman, president of the board of directors.

The volunteers performed 490 hours of volunteer work in various jobs. In Claudia’s Seed House (financed by Paterson), the team worked on the foundation, floors, and entryway; they also erected and prepared the frame, dug wells for water pipes, and cut and bent rebar for the whole structure of the house. In Antonia’s and Graciela’s houses, where improvements were made, the volunteers plastered the dining room and bedrooms, as well as prepared the floors.

Additionally, the team toured the neighborhood of La Boca, getting to know the Recycling Homes project and sharing similar experiences form their city. It was a real treat to share stories and lessons learned between sister organizations, united by our fraternal bond of tithing.

Many thanks to Paterson Habitat for Humanity for their continued commitment to HPHA!

Towards a sustainable habitat

In anticipation of World Habitat Day, on Saturday September 29, Hábitat para la Humanidad Argentina (HPHA) organized in La Matanza a roundtable discussion to reflect on lessons learned and exchange views on how to achieve a sustainable habitat.

Since 1985, the world has celebrated World Habitat Day on the first Monday in October, drawing attention to the desperate need for adequate homes for everyone. By raising awareness, promoting, defending, and advocating our cause, we seek nothing more than to make housing become a reality for everyone.

For this reason, HPHA convened housing organizations to share different points of view on an issue that today affects more than ten million people in our country. The roundtable was held in the Un Techo para Todos neighborhood in Ciudad Evita, La Matanza. The Sagrada Familia Foundation,  Pro-Vivienda Social Foundation, TECHO, General Sarmiento National University, and the Neighbor’s Association all participated in the event. Rita Jiménez, member of the Neighbor’s Association, recognized the contribution of each of many organizations who have helped to develop her home and neighborhood.

Rita spoke about the many challenges the neighborhood struggled with at the start, and emphasized the importance of support from everyone in this process, because, as she said, “by involving many actors and ideas, the neighborhood has become what it now is”. Celeste Fisch, technical coordinator of the projects division of the Sagrada Familia Foundation, brought to the discussion the value of working together, and the importance of understanding that “complex issues such as housing and habitat problems will not resolve themselves”. Later, Raúl Zavalía Lagos, Executive Director of the Pro-Vivienda Social Foundation, added that “what has already been done and what is still to be done in this neighborhood will be done by the families who live here. They know how to do it, because solutions arise from those living with the problem”.

Rita Jiménez.

Celeste Fisch.

Raúl Zavalía Lagos.

Consistent with the ideas present throughout the dialogue, Delfina Patterson, member of the habitat team from TECHO, reinforced the idea that “everyone in the society should be involved somehow”. Later, Raúl Fernández Wagner, an architect, teacher, and researcher from General Sarmiento University, stressed the importance and necessity of “thinking about solutions from the social production of the habitat, like construction solutions in the city created by its own citizens and the impact of policies that affect the practical application of facilitating access to land”.  Wagner was clearly alluding to the law that had become relevant for MPs in the Province in Buenos Aires.

The last to speak at the table was Ariel Sosa, leader of the Neighborhood Development project for HPHA. Having heard the different contributions, Ariel stressed the need to strengthen cooperation first between neighbors, civil society organizations (CSOs), the private sector (businesses), and the State.  He then expressed that CSOs should assume a facilitative role in community leadership, by “supporting their ideas, creating and deciding solutions to their own problems”, concluding by emphasizing that “it is important that CSOs make continuous assessments, examine what we are doing, and redefine where we are going by incorporating the community in the design of our new actions”. 

Delfina Patterson.

Raúl Fernández Wagner.

Ariel Sosa.

Finally, to close the roundtable discussion, those present signed a declaration as a commitment to continue working together to deliver innovative proposals in this path towards a sustainable habitat.

The signed statement reads as follows:

Those present here today celebrate this roundtable for discussion and reflection on the occasion of World Habitat Day, and declare the need for creative and innovative solutions to the housing problem facing our country.

We recognize the progress that has been made, but believe that there is still much to be done, and it requires commitment from everyone in our society.

Today is when we want to build a better world where everyone has an adequate place to live.

We are many, united as one working for this cause.

About World Habitat Day

In December 1985, the General Assembly of the United Nations declared the first Monday of October to be World Habitat Day, which recognizes the basic need for an adequate home. This year, World Habitat Day is October 1^st. Today, more than 1.6 billion people live in inadequate housing situations. If we fail to take action, this number is expected to grow to 2 billion people in the next 30 years. The purpose of World Habitat Day is to call attention to this desperate need for adequate housing for everyone. By raising awareness and promoting, defending, and advocating the universal right to housing, we want to change the system preventing access to this right, so that a home can become a reality for all. 

A life changing experience

The Brigades, groups of volunteers who work with families to build their homes, are an essential part of the Developing Neighborhoods project. Volunteers, from both companies and other countries through the Global Village program, make ​​a substantial contribution to the construction process of the families because they provide a cost-savings solution in labor and construction time. They also add value to the project by helping to create bridges between different ways of life and build hope in the lives of these families and their communities.

The experience of a day of construction for Corporate Brigades generates personal growth, motivation that transforms the way they look at their own work, and renewed pride in being part of a company that leaves positive imprints on society. For Global Village Brigades, volunteers come from distant countries seeking to contribute to HPHA’s mission, offering ten days of their lives and resources to cover absolutely all expenses and leave a generous donation.

This activity, in which volunteers experience the joys of giving, receiving, and working, is a life changing experience for them and the families. Everyone shares a deep cultural exchange where they celebrate their differences and similarities, and create a bond that transcends borders and languages.

Marcelo Muñoz, a CISCO volunteer, says it is very satisfying to directly help a family that is involved with the volunteers in the various construction projects. Throughout the brigade, Marcelo says, "you establish a unique and exciting bond with the family. You don’t want the day to end, and want to return to finish the job so the family can begin to live in an adequate home”.

Left: Marcelo Muñoz preparing the foundations

Meanwhile, Pablo and Johana, members of one beneficiary family from the “Seeds of Hope" construction event, show how life is on the other side: “ You never forget this;  I don’t know these volunteers and yet they are here helping us, " says Pablo, and Johana concludes: “It shows solidarity, that everyone can do it! These are people who do not know us but they are here bending rebar for our house. That is a feeling that grabs you, because no one ever gives you anything; no one came to tell me if we needed a home, and through HPHA I got a chance. "

Right: Johana surveying the work on her Seed House.

You and your company can join a day of construction! Write to ddrr@hpha.org.ar or call our office at (05411) 4760-5810 or 4859-0154.

Mission to "El Chaco Impenetrable"

From September 19^th – 30^th, the team of volunteers from the Remote Communities project bleached 26 homes in Juan José Castelli and Nueva Pompeya, towns in the Impenetrable Chaco. After the analysis in the August mission, the decision was made to bleach homes to prevent the Mal de Chagas disease.

The team of volunteers was made up of Samuel Alejandra Puricelli and Alejandra Dubos, with technical backgrounds, and Lindsey and William Donoghue, with social training. They bleached 14 homes in Castelli and 12 in Nueva Pompeya. To do this, they used manual pressure spraying equipment with a 7.5 -8 liter capacity. In the town of Juan José Castelli, they bleached houses that were surrounding the city and in sites, like Palo Flojal, close to the town center.

During the stay in Castelli, the volunteer team was supported by Gustavo Gallinder, from the organization ASADECICH, for logistics and to contact references from the area. Once in New Pompeii, the city offered support for transportation and accommodation for the team, along with a supply of lime.

Most interventions were in homes with "thatch" walls, ie of mud and straw. For internal bleaching plastics were used to protect the family's belongings. One of the biggest obstacles for the mission was the lack of water, a key element in the preparation of the bleach. "We needed ten to twenty liters of water to bleach a single home,” recount volunteers. In that area, water is scarce and usually reserved exclusively for community use.

While the bleaching provided as a housing solution was well received by the families, the state of the families was more complicated than expected. Tells Alejandra Dubos: "I was expecting hardship but not such a state of neglect; the reality unfortunately exceeded my expectations."

For Alejandra, and the rest of the team, the experience was very rewarding because it is always important to help people who are so isolated and living in precarious conditions, like the families of the towns they visited. However, much work still remains. And for this reason, and in order to continue the work they started, the project is looking for volunteers for a new mission that will take place between December 3^th to 12^th.

Interested persons may send their CV to voluntario@hpha.org.ar

Families building future

In the “Un Techo para Todos” and “22 de Enero” neighborhoods in La Matanza, HPHA continues to carry out the “Developing Neighborhoods Project”.  In the context of this project, the “Seeds of Hope” construction event took place.  The three families carefully selected to be a part of this project are headed by Noelia, Johana, and Sonia who have participated from the very beginning of the process.  Over the two week event, we were able to get to know them a bit better, and their stories are inspiring.

“ALL TOGETHER, MUCH MORE CAN BE DONE”.

Getting to know Noelia Fernández

Noelia is the head of her household.  She is separated from the father of her five-year-old son; and works in a co-operative which his trying to recover a steel factory.  She has lived in “Un Techo para Todos” since she was three.  Her story highlights the fundamental value of the family and encourages other families. “For my son to have a roof, a home that will still be here tomorrow, something that is his…that has always been my goal” – with these words, Noelia, a very outspoken young woman, makes her priorities in life very clear. And like other fathers and mothers of the area, Noelia says that the main reason that has led her to fight for housing has been to provide a better place to live for her children.

At the moment Noelia lives with her son opposite where her parents live. They are one of the founding families of the neighborhood, and support her throughout this process. For her, this sense of “family solidarity” as well as the support of her boyfriend, has been crucial in achieving her goal of a home. Noelia says it has been the family and the education that were instilled in her from a very early age which allow her to continue the process of looking for better living conditions.

Like many single mothers in the neighborhood, Noelia believes that the role of women is critical in the development of the area, because the values that will support children in the future are grounded in family. Thus, the role of women in the neighborhood is extremely important, since they are the ones involved in the organized activities for the community. In the specific case of the activities organized by HPHA, Noelia states: “Here it really shows the power of women; I think much of what has been achieved is partly thanks to women from the neighborhood that have children, those who suffer in the neighborhood, and everyone fighting to improve. ..Obviously the motivation will always be their children”.

Regarding the importance of housing for families, Noelia points out that “when you think about starting a family, the first thing is the roof, and now it costs a lot to have a house. It is impossible to buy a house because everything is very expensive”. For Noelia, HPHA was a clear opportunity to gain access to adequate housing, to prosper and thrive with the proposal for a Seed House, which had begun to be built in the construction event. “I took part in HPHA talks and workshops and I see that there is much more than a loan for you to make your house. It would be good for all of the neighbors to learn so they can draw on that faith and hope of doing things in this neighborhood for everyone”. As they say at HPHA, “All together, we can achieve much more”.

“I LOOK FORWARD TO HAVING A DECENT HOUSE FOR MY DAUGHTERS SAKE”.

Testimony from Johana y Pablo

Johana and Pablo are a young couple with two daughters. She is a housewife, daughter of one of the founding families of the “22 de Enero” neighborhood, and has lived her whole life there. He works in a bakery, and comes from one of the many towns surrounding Buenos Aires. They currently live in Johana’s parents’ home. This situation has led to eleven people living in a small home, resulting in damaging conditions of overcrowding. With the involvement of HPHA, Johana and Pablo are now in the process of building their Seed House. Faced with the expectations regarding the process of building the house, Johana said the following, “My hope is to have a decent house to give my daughters, live together with my husband and daughters like a normal family, and have our own house”. Both Johana and Pablo emphasize the importance of intimacy and privacy, and for a family to have their own space. The overcrowding in their current home, according to them, doesn’t let them adapt and express themselves as a family, and leads to anger and chaos

For Johana, adequate housing is characterized by having a space to be with her family, where her daughters can play and develop freely. For her, family development and being her own homeowner is an urgent need. “Everything starts here; education, managing your kids, or teaching them good manners…it all starts in your house, your own home. For me it is important to have privacy as a mother with my daughters, so they will know I am the mother and so I can teach them manners”. For Pablo, living in crowded conditions involves many hardships, to the point that he says he prefers to stay out of the house. In Johana’s case, there is a lack of privacy and although there is collective support in maintaining the household that is sometimes positive, the space issue interferes with her ability to be a good motherly influence and authority figure for her children.

Both say that the work done by HPHA is priceless, and is a reflection of altruism towards those in need. Pablo says: “You never forget that; I don’t know, I have no words for that, they are here, helping us! I have always done it by myself, just me, and nobody has given me anything… we are still speechless …”. For Johana, the work done by HPHA volunteers in building their Seed Home is an example of generosity: “They show the solidarity they have with people, that everyone can do it! These are people that I do not know but they are bending rebar so we can have a new house, and that is an emotion that grabs you because nobody has ever given you anything, no one came to ask me if I needed a house and HPHA has given me an opportunity….”.

HPHA’s work establishes a point of reference for other families that want to move forward in projects for adequate housing; this, without a doubt, represents a very important contribution to the lives of urban inhabitants and their attachment and identification with the city that often tends to make them invisible and push them to the side. Johana expresses this in a very heartfelt way: “I was born here; my neighborhood is my world and cradle. The city is like the top, the head, and we are the little toes, we are what no one wants to see.”

“A HOME IS A PLACE WHERE YOUR CHILDREN CAN FACE THE WORLD WHEN YOU ARE GONE”.

Testimony from Sonia and Carlos

Carlos and Sonia are a married couple who have lived together for 14 years, and for half of that time they have shared a home in the “Un Techo para Todos” neighborhood. Carlos works in the construction sector and Sonia is a housewife; they presently have three children, ages seven, eight, and eleven respectively.

For Carlos, even though some things like insecurity are not easy to handle in the neighborhood, you should try living life full of optimism - “Since you have come to the neighborhood, you always think about the good, to be in this place is beautiful above all things…” he says. Sonia welcomes the opportunity to have her own home; however humble, it is a place where they can be together. But she also knows of the drawbacks of living in the area are mainly mud during the rainy season and the danger of going out at night – “The trouble is that the municipality doesn’t want to recognize the neighborhood, they always say it is a settlement and that is why improvements fail”.

They learned about HPHA through the Concordia Foundation, another community organization that has a presence in the area. Carlos in thankful for the collaborative work given by the organization, and knows it is not given with motives of economic profit like a bank, but instead aimed at strengthening community efforts to build decent living areas.

The work that HPHA performs in these neighborhoods is, to Sonia and Carlos, a fundamental contribution, because people with few economic resources can now have the support and possibility to also build a house where “everyone can have their space to not disturb others, or where children can do homework”, says Sonia, to which Carlos adds, “it is a place where your children can face the world when you are gone”. 

For many years to come

Hábitat para la Humanidad Argentina (HPHA) celebrated its first 10 years serving families in need of housing, in October. To honour these ten years of commitment and faith in action, two big events took place. First, from the the 1^st to 13^th October the annual construction event “Seeds of Hope” took on an extra festive spirit to mark the 10 years. Then, on Thursday 25^th October a simple gathering was organized to join volunteers, donors, partner families, staff members (all past and present) in a toast to celebrate a decade of achievements, and to look ahead to the new challenges.

Seeds of Hope Construction Event

From the early hours of the morning in the “Un Techo para Todos “and “22 de Enero” neighborhoods, the HPHA tent filled with volunteers from each of the companies that took part in this construction event, financed by Telefe, Mercedes-Benz Automotive and Financial, and CISCO.  The event involved laying the foundations for 3 new Seed Houses.

Corporate volunteers from CISCO, Ford Argentina, Whirlpool Argentina, and Mercedes-Benz joined in to create a festive spirit and build hope, as well as houses.  For many, this was not their first time building with HPHA…they were anxious to come back and continue bonding with the community and witnessing the growth of a neighbourhood.

Upon arrival, the volunteers received a T-shirt, helmet, gloves, and listened carefully to the instructions and safety precautions. They then divided into three groups for each one of the Seed Houses. At noon, everyone took a break from construction work, and volunteers and families shared lunch with their host families, exchanging experiences and reflection.   Each day ended with a summary of the achievements, final comments and often the heart felt appreciation of both volunteers and families.

For two weeks, these neighborhoods in Ciudad Evita were painted blue, green, and white with the HPHA t-shirts and helmets.  There was a feeling of joy and hope as three families saw their dream of an adequate house start to be fulfilled. In all, there were seven days of construction: 6 corporate brigades, and one special brigade of HPHA Board Members, friends and volunteers.  On the last day, Mariano Peluffo, television host and producer, once again delighted the kids in the neighbourhood with his presence.  After visiting the 3 houses, he rounded up a drawing workshop taking place in the Plaza with some 60 kids, and personally autographed each of their best pieces of artwork! 

Over 150 volunteers participated and, along with the members of the beneficiary families, performed construction work totaling over 1,200 hours.   At the end of the event, each of the 3 Seed Houses had its foundations solidly laid, sceptic tank completed, and  and two of them were well advanced with the walls. This means that in just two weeks, volunteers were able to complete work that would have taken the families more than two months.

The two week event was sponsored by Balanz Capital and Alicia González de Magnus Viajes and Turismo, with in kind donations from BASANI and Staples Argentina.

10^th Anniversary

After weeks of anticipation, on the last Thursday in October, HPHA celebrated its 10^th anniversary with a cocktail party in the hall of the historic Anglican Cathedral, located in the City Centre Buenos Aires. The event was attended by over eighty people, including donors, volunteers, employees, members of the Board of Directors, beneficiary families, and friends who have been with the organization over all these years. Among them were three of the five presidents the organization has had: Jackie Abadi, José Colacilli, and current President María Cecilia Mariluz. Some partner organizations also participated: Santa Rita and María Auxiliadora Chapels, Missionaries of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary, Latinamerican School of Coaching, Marval O’Farrell and Mairal, the Civil Association De la Nada, Fundación Sagrada Familia, FlechaBus Foundation, and the Anglican Church.

This celebration was sponsored by Banco Ciudad de Buenos Aires, SECURITAS Seguros, and Peñaflor Establishment.  It was a time for memories and appreciation of the work of so many over these 10 years.  Los del Camino, a Christian Folklore group long connected to HPHA, provided the music, whilst Archdeacon David George officially opened the event with a prayer and a blessing.  The highlight of the evening were the words of 10 people each representing one year in the history of Hábitat para la Humanidad Argentina. They were:

Patricia Caviezel: the only volunteer who has been active in HPHA from its very beginning until today.

Mario Uviedo: Beneficiary family of the project “Rebuilding Santa Fe” after the 2003 floods, recognized in this event for his responsibility in paying his loan over the past 8 years.

José Colacilli: President for 7 of the 10 years of the organization.

Mercedes Mendoza de Vargas: Beneficiary family of the “Tierras” project in Santa Fe, and representative of the group of HPHA families that now run a Neighbourhood Group to seek improvements in the community.

Lorna Álvarez: Member of the congregation of the Anglican Church and responsible for gathering small donations that over the years, has meant almost 14.000 US Dollars

Daniel Neyra: First beneficiary family of the Assisted Rents Project.

René Rodríguez: Beneficiary family from the Progressive Improvements project in Luján that also has paid back his loans on time.

Cristian Emery:  Supplier of computer services to the National Office, who has shown his commitment to the mission of HPHA by being the only businessman who has maintained his fees over the last 3 years despite the 20 to 30% mandatory rise in salaries.

Rita Jiménez: Beneficiary family from the Progressive Improvements project in La Matanza, and member of the group of volunteer families that work to improve the neighborhood.

Pedro Gadze: Representing all of the volunteers that have passed through the organization over the past ten years.

HPHA President Cecilia Mariluz’s, gave thanks to God and to all the staff and volunteers who have been a part of the organization over these last 10 years and then handed over to the organization’s executive director, Ana Cutts, who has also been with HPHA from the beginning.  Ana began her speech with a quote from English poet Oscar Wilde: “We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars”, alluding to the idea that those who have shared the last 10 years with HPHA are people able to look at the stars and be convinced that dreams can be achieved.

Without a doubt the most emotional moment of the evening was the presentation by Norma Niz, whose family is from Open Door town in the Buenos Aires province. That night, she celebrated the cancellation of her loans received in 2003. She barely began to read the letter she had prepared when she broke down in tears, and let the Master of Ceremony read the rest.   She wrote “How can we forget that February afternoon when one of my daughters said: “Mami I saw a sign that said that an association called Hábitat para la Humanidad helps build houses for families in need… my heart was suddenly filled with such hope and excitement”. The letter expressed the deep thanks felt by Norma and her family to all of the people in the organization that have accompanied her in her journey to have her own home today.

Topping off the evening, candles were blown out on a delicious cake, and the party came to its finale with a toast to HPHA and a wish for many more years of service to come.