16 voices
Bianca, Paraguay
Paraguay, Bianca
Big sister: shelter and home
Bianca is thirteen years old, and last December, she experienced the security of having a home of her own for the first time. She welcomes us there for this interview, speaking with poise and strength.
Calmly, she shares the hardships she has faced, focusing on her role as an older sister and a source of support for her family throughout their journey. Her articulate, strong and determined voice speaks on behalf of the new generations who need the foundation that shelter and a home can provide.
It is our responsibility as adults to listen to them and help clear the path ahead.
Bianca is the youngest of our 16 Voices, who enthusiastically celebrate fifty years of building a world where everyone has a decent place to live.
“I can’t forget the moment when they told me I was going to have a house.”
Life without a home of their own
For most of her life, Bianca and her family lived in rented homes. Her mother and father worked hard to give their children the best they could, but this meant they were unable to spend much time with them. The homes they could afford did not meet their needs. As the weather changed in Paraguay, they endured periods of extreme heat and cold.
“The houses we used to live in were in very, very poor condition because we couldn’t afford anything better. We often had problems with dampness and things like that. We had to fix those problems ourselves because the landlord didn’t care. You just had to pay him, and that was it.”
Bianca and her younger brother, Sebastián, lived with the uncertainty of not knowing when they might have to move again. Their mother worked, and so did their father. He worked far away, and they did not have a place where they could feel safe and at peace.
“I’m someone who gets very attached. Once I settle into a place, I don’t want to leave. It felt really awful because you would become attached to a home that wasn’t even yours.”
The location of the homes they rented prevented them from living close to their relatives, so they had no support network nearby. As the older sister, Bianca took on the responsibility of caring for her brother to support her parents while they were at work.
“I studied, took care of my brother and, to some extent, took him to school too, because he still can’t manage on his own.”
As an older sister, I can tell you that it was difficult because you had to hold everything together. Taking care of the house, studying and looking after a younger brother while going through a situation that I wouldn’t wish on any child my age, much less a younger one, because it’s not something a child can cope with. It’s very difficult.”
You’re going to have a home
Freddy, Bianca’s father, works for TOCSA S.A., a company that partners with us in Paraguay through a project called Umbral. This initiative enables employees of partner companies to access housing solutions under preferential terms. When Bianca heard from her father that he had been selected, she could hardly believe it.
“These days, it’s very hard to believe something like that, you know? But then they told us that another family had also been selected, and they already had the construction plans and all the documents ready. We started gathering everything they asked us for too, and now we’re sitting here, talking inside our home.”
The promise soon became a reality. Freddy successfully completed the selection process and received approval to build his house. In addition to the special terms offered by the program, TOCSA S.A. donated to support the construction of this house and that of another employee.
In December of last year, a symbolic ceremony was held to mark the handover of the new house. Bianca attended with her younger brother, Sebastián, and their parents.
New opportunities through a change of environment
Our research has shown that housing stability helps children remain in school. Bianca is one of the young people whose education has been affected by the lack of suitable living conditions. While her family was going through financial hardship, she had to put her studies on hold because of transportation costs. Having a home of their own near educational institutions will allow her to return to school.
“We used to spend a lot on bus fare to get to our school. Missing out on your education is something I wouldn’t wish on anyone, you know? Unfortunately, because of the problems we were going through, I had to withdraw and put my studies on hold this year. But thankfully, I’m going to go back next year.”
In her new enviroment, Bianca feels more supported. She has relatives nearby who can help her, and her father is by her side. She feels at ease knowing that their payments and investments in the house are going toward something of their own. She has also noticed that her brother is happier now that his cousins are nearby, to the point that he sometimes even dares to be a little more rebellious, something he did not feel comfortable doing before. These changes motivate Bianca and remind her that her efforts have made a difference because she has helped someone close to her.
“He seems much happier to me, really happy. Sometimes he tells me that I’m like his mom, and that’s what it feels like, you know?
“Now we have everything we need close by. Our relatives live next door and, well, most of the people around here are our people. There’s also a school nearby that we attend. So everything is really close and within easy reach. And on top of that, I can wait for my dad every day when he comes home from work.”
Together, we build security to grow
At thirteen, Bianca reminds us of the impact our work has on new generations. Her story represents children and adolescents in the 16 Voices project, a celebration of our fiftieth anniversary through the Let’s Open the Door campaign. Across the region, we change lives by providing people with a safe place to grow.
“I know there are other young people my age, or even older, who are going through the same difficulties I went through. I would tell them to stay strong because their time will come.Everything happens in its own time, as I always say, you know? Everything in its own time, because good things, even when they are difficult to achieve, always work out in the end. It is as if God has His own plans for each of His children.”
While Bianca’s message offers hope to young people who are still waiting for a decent home, our message to you is a call to action: become part of the support that makes it possible. Together, let’s turn Bianca’s words into reality. If you would like to support Habitat in Paraguay with a donation, you can do so through this link. If your company would like to support initiatives like this one in Paraguay or across Latin America and the Caribbean, contact us. We have many opportunities for you to get involved. Your contribution can make a difference and will remain in the hearts of families.
“I want to tell you that what you are doing is very good. It requires sacrifices and many other things, but you never lose that energy to help people who do not have a home of their own. It makes me very happy to know that there are still people who help those who need it most.”
