Habitat for Humanity leaves 2,000 footprints in Paraguay
In the event “2,000 HOMES: Leaving footprints”, national and international volunteers build alongside families, helping Habitat for Humanity Paraguay to reach its goal of 2,000 housing solutions in the country.
ASUNCIÓN, Paraguay (May 10, 2012) – From May 7-12, Habitat for Humanity Paraguay will host the construction event, “2,000 HOMES: Leaving footprints”. Volunteers will build alongside 10 artisan families – by the end of the week reaching the Habitat Paraguay’s goal of 2,000 housing solutions in the country. The event will be transmitted live at www.habitat.org.py.
Construction will take place from 8:00 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. from Monday through Friday, and will mobilize national and international volunteers to work with the families. National volunteer teams have been organized by representatives of Pharma International, CEMTA, the Architecture Department of the Universidad Nacional (FADA), Santa Ana High School, the U.S. Embassy, USAID and Visión Banco.
Habitat for Humanity’s housing solutions in Areguá include storage units and a display rooms for the sale of handicrafts, from which the families earn their livelihood. The families currently live in crowded conditions, the majority sharing their living space with the tools of their trade, such as paints, clay, lathes and ovens. Habitat’s housing solutions don’t only seek to provide healthy living space, but also support the marketing of their products and the improvement of their family economy.
The event is supported by Visión Banco, Irene Industrial and Comercial S.A., the Central Department government and Record Electric, among others.
Habitat for Humanity is an international, non-profit organization, which since 1998 has worked in Paraguay to transform the housing conditions of low-income families and communities, mobilizing resources and promoting national and International solidarity. Habitat provides families with the opportunity to build new houses that can be incrementally expanded over time, or to repair, expand or improve their existing home.
Information will be available at www.habitat.org.py and www.facebook.com/habitatpy throughout the construction event.
The numbers behind “2,000 HOMES: Leaving footprints”:
- 5 days of work
- 20 site supervisors
- 136 national and International volunteers
- 10 partner families
- More than 600 people mobilized throughout the week
Materials used:
- 20,000 bricks
- 100 cubic meters of sand
- 50 cubic meters of gravel
- 250 bags of cement
- Several tons of willingness and solidarity
The organization’s growth in Paraguay Habitat for Humanity Paraguay celebrated its house number 1,000 in 2009 in the community of Benjamin Aceval. Just three years later, it has reached 2,000 housing solutions and aims to double this amount in the next 12 months.
There is an estimated housing deficit of 800,000 houses in Paraguay. Nevertheless, studies show that this deficit is not only a matter of quantity of houses needed, but also the quality of existing homes. Many families are unable to own their own home, living with parents or in crowded spaces. Many earn too little to access traditional credit, and many live in high-risk zones. Habitat for Humanity supports these families by providing construction technical assistance and materials to build a better place to live.
About Habitat for Humanity
Habitat for Humanity International is a global Christian nongovernmental housing organization that brings together people of all races, nationalities and religions to build homes, communities and hope. Since 1976, Habitat has served more than 500,000 families by building and improving homes; by advocating for fair and just housing policies; and by providing training and access to resources to help families improve their shelter conditions.
Habitat for Humanity first opened its doors in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) in 1979, and has since helped more than 100,000 low-income families to access adequate housing in the region.