Year 6, Vol.1: End of the Year in Luján

Another Year: More Houses, More Families, More Hope. End of the Year and “Little Bricks” Project in Luján. By Andrea Di Lucca (Lujan volunteer from Canada).

A small house with pink walls, a yellow roof, blue windows, a green door, many flowers and candy made trees, and the smile of a kid showing with pride to his family what he just had made... this is the image that comes to my mind when I think of the end of the year we organized for all the families from Habitat for Humanity Argentina in Luján.

On November the 17th we invited each family to spend some time with the aim of strengthening bonds and letting them get to know each other in a festive atmosphere. We also wanted to go over the topics we covered in the first months of the “Little Bricks” Project and make sure each child was aware of the fact that everyone has the right to have access to a house.

When the families came into the office, they found out that it has been transformed with the Christmas spirit: there were lights, a decorated Christmas tree and Christmas carols. On one side, families could see an exposition of pictures with examples of the activities in the “Little Bricks” project. On the other, a space for the kids, with toys and materials for them to make a Christmas card.

Little by little, each family came with food and drinks to share. The meal was something unforgettable! After a few words of welcome, we got started with the party activities. With wafer and candy, each kid built a small house with their parents help. Everyone had the same materials, but each house came out different and unique. When the activity was over we could appreciate many houses of different colours, like a rainbow of housing... an image that I shall never forget.

After the activity we got started with the party. We went out to the yard and had some cake, cookies, and other delicious deserts. Mariana Ballesteros, who was then the coordinator of the HPHA office in Luján, gave a speech about the successes in Habitat during the year and thanked all the families and the staff for all their work and enthusiasm.

It was a really nice moment when we invited all the kids that participated in “Little Bricks” to say some words about their experience in the workshops. It was something very special for them too to be able to tell us about their favourite activities and what they have learned in them.

In the end, we handed out Christmas bags to each family that had been donated by members of the Anglican Church. This was an amazing gesture by families from the City of Buenos Aires to families in Lujan, with a personalized Christmas Card reading “De una familia a otra” (From one family to another)

All in all, the end of the year gave us a great opportunity to gather all the families and staff members of HPHA Luján in a warm and festive atmosphere. There was a special energy in the office that afternoon and anyone could tell that we were all really happy from being there celebrating Habitat and everything that each family had accomplished. The end of the year was my last day as a volunteer in Luján and I feel really lucky of having the chance of being able to be there next to all the families and the staff. That afternoon I realized that Habitat for Humanity Argentina is not only building homes... it is also building hope and a huge family of people who share the same vision: that every family should have access to a simple, healthy, safe and affordable house and that we can all together help to make this possible. Yes, a lot of effort and work is required... but a change is possible. With events like “A year More”, we celebrate the successes and we encourage people to keep working with the mission of building loving and caring communities.

Year 4, Volume 1: Luján: Building Neighborhoods

The Luján Office is working on their next initiative called the Neighborhood by Neighborhood Project. This is the first project where HFHA is attempting to improve the environment of a whole neighborhood.

The objective of Neighborhood by Neighborhood Project is to improve the living conditions of the 100 families who live in the Barrio San Cayetano and Padre Varela neighborhoods. Because these two neighborhoods have the greatest need in the Luján area, this project will consist of loans in kind and housing solutions tailored to meet the specific necessity of each household. Some of the solutions that will be addressed are Obtaining Legalized Land Titles, Loans for Improvements and House with Land. At the same time HFHA´s aim is to generate interest in the continued development of the neighborhoods of Barrio San Cayetano and Padre Varela by encouraging the participation by families and institutions in the area to build community consciousness which includes the creation of community green areas.

The Neighborhood by Neighborhood Project aims to help those low income families who live in Barrio San Cayetano and Padre Varela neighborhoods in Luján and suffer difficult living conditions and who are looking for a final solution either in the form of a complete housing solution, a progressive house, or with legalization of their land.

Mariana Ballesteros

Local Coordinator

Luján Office - HFHA

Year 3, Volume 3: Luján

Global Village: To see the world through different eyes!

One of my tasks as a long term volunteer for Habitat for Humanity Argentina was to accompany the Global Village teams from different parts of the world to the building sites in Argentina. My responsibilities included participating with the building projects and coordinating necessary supplies such as snacks, water, transportation and restaurants.

It was a really great experience for me. On the one hand I had time to help on the building site and work hand-in-hand with the families and on the other hand I got to know people from all over the world.

I learned a lot and had a great time with all the people. In total I worked together with GV teams 4 times: twice in Santa Fe and twice in Luján. In both places I had a lot of support from the local affiliate, without them it wouldn’t have been the same!

The international volunteers also learned a lot. Working together with partner families they were able to experience a different culture. I always felt accepted…and with the last group I even felt like part of the team!

We also felt really connected with the families, sharing the whole working day and sometimes even more with them! If the weather was nice and everybody wasn’t too tired, we had football matches after finishing work. We also had huge “asados” or farewell events. So everybody had a chance for experiences outside the construction site as well. The feedback I’ve heard from participants on every team has been great!

My volunteer work with HFHA finished at the end of December, however, I will be leading a GV team on a trip to Honduras before returning home to Germany in January 2007, and I look forward to this and future involvement with GV programmes around the world. ¡Hopefully my participants will be as delighted as the others were!

Nils Dickhoff

German volunteer with HFHA from February to December 2006

Year 3, Volume 2: Luján

What is the Lands Project?

The Lands Project is an innovation of HFHA in response to the large number of families in need of a home, but who do not own their own land. Before this project was implemented, HFHA required all families to own a plot of land or have a title deed in order to become beneficiaries. After a long process, 6 plots of land were bought in Open Door, semi-detached houses were designed, and the first families were selected. The challenge and our proposal was to reduce construction costs by building various houses in the same piece of land (economy of scale), thus enabling the families to afford the cost of the land as well as the house.

On Friday 26^th of May the dedication of the last 4 houses of the Lands Project was held in Open Door, Luján. The houses were financed through a special fund-raising campaign which counted with the support of Maersk S. A., H. B. Fuller, Lincoln, St. John´s Holywell Parish, individual donors, and the proceeds of a dinner organized in Peekskill, New York, by Alex Bernabó.

By one of those blessings which God provides, the dedication coincided with the last day of work of the Global Village Team from Boston, USA, whose leader was no other than Alex´s daughter, Milagros!

After listening to an endearing and inspiring story which encouraged us all to stop feeling like

defenceless little birds waiting to be helped, and become soaring Condors able to help others, the Medina, Burgos, Cuesta and Rajoy families moved us all with their words of gratefulness and sincerity. “Here we learnt that it is possible to dream with a better world”, one of them said holding back tears of emotion.

Four of the youngsters from Boston gave their carefully rehearsed speeches in Spanish as each family received a Bible. Ana Cutts, our National Director, reminded us that the dedication of each house is not the end of the road for the families, rather it is truly the beginning of a new journey towards building a home filled with love, patience, understanding and effort; and continuing the monthly payments in order to enable more families to have their own home.

As usual, HFHA Luján prepared refreshments with cakes and “empanadas”, and we could not help feeling like one big family – global due to the presence of Milagros and her team – made up of beneficiary families, volunteers and staff.

Building Homes

What is the Building Homes Project?

As HFHA in Luján grows, more and more families approach us in search of an opportunity to work together to acquire an affordable, simple, healthy house. Some of them own land, others are on their way towards owning their land. As a means of response to this need HFHA Luján approved the Building Homes Project, with the object of reaching 35 families in need – who have their own land – in 3 years. These families must live in districts or towns within a 20 km. radius from the city of Luján.

The construction of the first four houses of the Building Homes Project started in 2006 due to the finance and support of Citibank Argentina and Habitat for Humanity International. The first beneficiary families are from Open Door and Luján. The building is being done in record time as a result of the increase in the number of Corporate Teams from Citibank Argentina, Novartis, Monsanto and the Monthly Work Teams made up of individual volunteers.

On Saturday 27^th of May a team from Citibank Argentina gave the finishing touches to the Berterré family’s home. That same afternoon everyone stayed on to the dedication of the house, with the participation of José Colacilli, President of the National Board of Directors of HFHA, and Juan Brouchou, CEO of Citibank Argentina amongst the guests.