Year 4, Volume 1: National Office: Community Development

Interview with María Celina Malvazo

Tell us what type of family we hope to serve?

HFHA hopes to serve the families with the greatest need. Today our projects are directed toward families who can pay a maximum monthly quota of $150 (pesos) / u$s 50 (dollars).

How do you achieve this?

We face a great challenge here. Traditionally HFHA has focused on designing and offering a certain type of house to the focus public. Then if the families were able to pay the quota and fell within the selection criteria set by HFHA they were able to enter the program. Now we have modified the system by identifying the needs of the poorest families first instead of designing a product (home) then looking for a family to fit into it. We analyze the socioeconomic situation of our focus group and produce a plan to offer long term credit to solve their housing needs. These credits are adjustable depending upon the needs and the possibilities of each family. The families return the money without interest over a long period of time.

How are families selected?

We prepare social reports on the families interested in our program that fit the profile of our focus group for each separate project. Next, a Selection Committee consisting of local volunteers and HFHA personnel evaluate each case. Those families with the greatest most urgent need have priority over the others. In addition other organizations HFHA works in association with can recommend a family. Once selected the family is accepted into the program.

What does the follow up consist of?

Once a family is selected they attend a series of workshops before, during and after the construction of their house. These workshops not only strengthen the ties between HFHA and the family but also enable us to address the needs of each family and strengthen the central values of HFHA like faith in action and sweat equity.

The children are also included in workshops through the Little Bricks Project. Both mothers and children attend educational and recreational workshops where they learn the value of having a home and its maintenance. At the same time we help them adapt to a new mode of living that is often very different than what they were used to.

In order to maintain a continuous relationship with the HFHA families we offer workshops on Financial Literacy and Legal Literacy. We also give workshops in partnership with other NGO’s on topics such as the changes in a growing family, family health, education and how to start a small business.

Is that what you call “More than Houses”?

Yes, we in HFHA want to provide the families and communities with “More than Houses”, giving them tools by which they can develop and grow. We wish to be a means by which the family progresses, where they are able to achieve a new reality no longer living in a precarious lifestyle. Owning a house alone is very important but it does not guarantee progress nor does it strengthen the family or the community.

Do the families achieve a true transformation?

That is our goal. Of course the transformation does not happen from one day to the next nor does it happen once the family moves into their house. Our job starts with the house and continues year after year. For this reason we are developing a measurement tool “Human Development Measurement Tool” that allows us to visualize and monitor the concrete development of each family over the years. That way we know if we are successfully enabling the positive transformation of each family.

Year 2, Volume 2: National Office: TESTIMONY OF ONE VOLUNTEER: María Viegas

More than a year ago, I saw in a weekly architecture and building magazine an advertisement from Habitat for Humanity, that touch a personal fibre. The advertisement explained what it was doing in Argentina and encouraged anyone who wanted to contribute to its work to join.

It had been a few years since the “whirlpool” of daily life had caught me: family, work, survival, etc. were some of the excuses I used not to consider getting involvemed! However, this article opened the door to a new reality. My children were already grown-up, my work set on the right road, and I realized it was time for me to return everything that LIFE had generously given me.

This was an opportunity! My skills and experience could be utilized in helping those who needed a hand... a roof… a smile... or just some encouragement

I called to discuss the idea and was invited to attend a workshop to learn what it means to be a volunteer and how Habitat and Save the Children work!

It was a day full of new meanings for me and with all my heart I took it upon myself to make my contribution to the organization.

At first, it was somewhat hard to find my place. I passed through different stages, meetings and joined in celebrations to inaugurate the first completed homes!

Everything was new and exciting for me, but I felt more like a visitor than a real helper. Months went by and my desire to be more effective was growing and I learned to appreciate the value of technical assistance and began to feel that my contribution was indeed useful and valued. A group of professionals began to meet to contribute, we have found our place and started to see the results! Our work meetings became more worthwhile and we could help the Affiliates as they needed our help. We organized exchange workshops with them and I began to gain more confidence.

I was also encouraged to be a “House Leader” which meant going with volunteers to the construction site in Luján, explaining Habitat’s methodology to them, and coordinating their days work.

This is what I liked the most because it meant being with the people, with the beneficiaries, getting to know and understand them, their needs, their sorrows and joys, their surprise and their grateful incredulity!!

After days on the work site, the soul relaxes in a worn out body, and the word HOME sounds like glory!! Thank you Habitat for giving me the opportunity to share, learn, give and receive!

María Viegas

Volunteer-Technical Assistance Team

National Office- Habitat for Humanity Argentina

Year 1, Volume 3: Annual Assembly of Habitat for Humanity Argentina

The Annual Assembly of Habitat for Humanity Argentina took place on Saturday October 30^th 2004

I had the opportunity, for the first time, to participate as a member, and to appreciate the new challeneges in front of us.

It has given me great satisfaction to be part of a group of people who share a project and deep feelings of solidarity, faith and hope in this world that is often very complex and individualist.

It was a day of intense and hard work, of sharing experiences, evaluating and discussing joint actions for the future. And all this showed me how people with similar interests and with energy devoted to projects to help people in need, those who are waiting to be helped, can see a way to do this with exciting results.

It is very difficult to describe "volunteer work"... it has to be lived to be appreciated, and it is unique. However, if we look around, we can see more and more people getting involved, in different ways but with similar aims, each one doing what he can in his own way.

Getting involved means a big commitment, and commitment is, from my point of view, the key word that we should bear in mind.

I believe that we should start to copy the strategies of the ants and of the spiders! Among the latter we see perseverance and coordinated work prevail; among the former we see their ability to knit incredible nets of protection and survival.

Some days ago, I heard words that we should certainly keep in mind all throughout our lives: “If it is not me, who? If it is not now, when?”

Maria Cecilia Mariluz

Volunteer of the national sub committee of

Education and Technical Support

Year 1, Volume 4: The Regional Directors’ Conference of Habitat for Humanity, South America

The Regional Directors’ Conference of Habitat for Humanity, South America was held in Buenos Aires, Argentina from August 2^nd – 6^th 2004.

It was an inspiring and exciting conference during which we were able to assess and value the work which has been done, as well as identifying future challenges and opportunities. The warm welcome extended to all the visiting delegates by members of Habitat for Humanity, Argentina, meant that we were able to exchange experiences and discuss our expectations and future plans in an atmosphere of friendship and co-operation. And because of the thorough and careful planning by the local area officers, there were plenty of opportunities to get to know each other better in spite of the intense work we all did during the conference.

Members attending the conference came from PERU, BRAZIL, CHILE, COLOMBIA, VENEZUELA, BOLIVIA, and PARAGUAY. Sadly the Paraguayan delegation had to leave because of the tragedy in Asuncion and they were much missed. But although we missed the input from our Paraguayan members we were able, with enthusiasm and dedication, to consider many issues including the new challenges to the National Program to achieve self- financing. We discussed our various experiences of working in Youth Programs, with Brigades, and our relationships with the different Churches.

We considered the proposals for restructuring the Area Office, CCR and IPAS, and the priorities of Habitat for Humanity in Latin America and the Caribbean, with Habitat for Humanity International.

However, undoubtedly the most important and moving moment was when we shared the smiles, tears and unbelievable joy of some families in Lujan as they saw their dreams fulfilled as they took possession of their own new home, thanks to the work of Habitat for Humanity, Argentina. And for us it meant affirmation of all that we do, and helped us realise the value of our commitment. Thanks be to God who enables us to work for his people in need through our organisation.

Delegates appreciated the warm hospitality offered by their hosts, the careful painstaking work and planning of the facilitators and the capacity of our leaders to listen and encourage. We gave thanks for all the directors who give so much of their lives in the service of God and his people.

“What you are is God’s gift for you;

What you do with yourself is your gift to God”

María Elena Acosta

National Director, HFH Ecuador