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Oct. 15th, 2008 07:01 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
vicarzHabitat Chile 2008:
About Habitat in Chile:
When you worked for Habitat, you contributed a "donation" which the group reserved the right to reallocate. This was enough to make a donation, cover room and board, etc. Then you paid your own transportation costs, and provided free labor to build homes in the selected locale.
Short version:
Like that old army phrase, it was "the toughest job you'll ever love." A group of nearly 20 of us came together from across this country to serve the poor in Chile. This was an unusual program for Habitat, for it had some funding from the Chilean government. The recipients were not the poorest of the poor - rather, they owned a piece of land and could therefore benefit from housing supplied to them in the long term. While they were not the most destitute in the area, they did live in substandard conditions, to include housing made from spare parts including scraps of tin (usually on the roof held down with large rocks), used wooden pallets, old signs, and even one section of a home that was made of clay and small sticks. During our time there, the Habitat volunteers managed to build concrete slabs for housing, over 6 wooden frames for houses, and do some finishing. Another team was to arrive shortly after we left to put up the insides and siding of the homes we had constructed. We generally worked with the families who were to receive the housing, and they were extremely grateful. I am grateful for the experience as I could see immediately the good my efforts would support. Our team built over 6 house frames which in a few weeks, which will soon be completed homes for at least 6 families.
Long version:
From day 1 we plowed into the work, and were inspired by our surroundings. The grounds we were building the house on were straight out of a movie. The front fence was made of plywood and wooden pallets - the back and a side were just pallets for the most part. The back of the yard had a chicken coop with 2 chickens and a rooster, the rooster making his noise off and on all day while the chickens just made low clucking noises. The coop itself was more patches than chicken-wire. A tired old pan provided water. The chickens provided eggs to eat - these were not pets. Skinny dogs filled the yards, while skinnier dogs filled the street outside. I've seen this sort of thing mimicked in a thousand movie cliches, but nothing could convey the feeling of working in the midst of it for days on end.
The first home we saw occupying the land was consistent with many in the area. It was a patchwork of a wooden structures made of re-used posts and scraps of wood - everything from plywood to used signs. The roof was an assortment of mismatched pieces of corrugated tin held down with large rocks. The inside of each house (for we worked on two at first) was interesting. It looked more civilized and organized than the outside and dirt floors would lead you to believe. One had a radio, the other a tv, as the houses did have electricity. They also had running water, through hoses, though it only appeared to go into a jerry-rigged shower and toilet - a toilet that lacked a seat. There was a washing machine, and laundry lines filled the dirt yard on the side. Each girl that lived in the area had long hair. They looked clean, dressed decently - you wouldn't think they had emerged from these modest shacks. When you saw the decrepit walls of the shacks, you might not expect to have the well-stocked bookshelves or family portraits that were placed with care inside.
This home had several dogs living there, all the small ones running loose, including a small white mom and her 4 pups, a beagle mix pup, and a small black long-haired dog we named tick-face. I thought he had a tick or two on his face (hence the name) until I petted him and realized he had dozens - we only saw the ones that swelled up with his blood.
We had luxurious conditions by comparison, but they were poor by USian standards. We shared rooms with 2 twin beds and 3 feet between them. 6 total shared a bathroom which had one shower which was about 2x2', and a toilet with running water in which you were not allowed to flush toilet paper. Most of these areas had toilets, but separate trash cans by them for all paper products - even used, even used for that. We were fed great quantities of food, but it was not food you would wolf down if you were not terribly hungry. We sat at plastic lawn tables and chairs in the cramped kitchen/dining room.
Day 1 I was on the site I worked on for the longest time. First I met Omar, a toddler, and his mother Alexandra (I originally mistook her for his older sister). Alexandra was a girl that was not afraid of working either. Her technique wasn't the greatest, but she was fearless and strong. She powered through whatever she could do.
For all of these processes we were directed by a crew of experienced locals. They spoke no english, our spanish for those of us that spoke it was poor and incomplete; but with gestures and examples they were able to get us going on what needed doing. In the back a space was cleared where a concrete slab was made that had pieces of rebar lining the outside at regular intervals. We started making frames, then moved to the sidewalk outside to made trusses for the roof.
Day 2 we sped up and finished more frames - I'm not sure if it was day 3 or 4 when we hoisted them up and nailed them into place. Shortly thereafter we crawled up on the top, dragged the trusses into place, and nailed them up - along with some support and framing boards for getting the siding in place. I adopted the moniker of "El mono" for my habit of crawling on the frame to find easier angles to hammer from, well that and my stint of pretending to groom and eat bugs off a team leader. We apparently made better time than they expected, completing 3 complete wooden house frames fixed on the concrete on 3 different locations in our first complete week. The last half of the last day we went to another site to mix and pour our first concrete slab. The outside of the concrete frame was already set so we could quickly mix and pour the concrete.
The program in Chile is unusual - it's linked to the government and only helps people who can benefit from help. For instance, only landowners can even apply for assistance. The area economy is ok, but much of the employment is in the local wineries which have peak employment cycles that only last 3 months of the year. It was an unusual area - while in the city you saw lots of barred windows, broken glass-lined concrete walls, and razor wire - in Casablanca, a more rural area, the scrap-shacks often stood near well manicured lawns and nice houses. Habitat usually has the recipients work a fixed number of hours on the site, pay for the mortgage on a schedule, and is fully private with no government involvement. This branch in Chile seems to be a bit of an experiment for them, to see how this particular government program interaction would help or hinder.
After our first week we found out we wouldn't be finishing the houses we started. Delta Airlines was involved in some corporate sponsorship, and would be sending a team down to do the finishing work - great photo op. Some of our team was upset by this, wanting to see the jobs to completion themselves. I rather like the idea as we were doing good work, credit isn't important, and corporate sponsorship would be worth more funding than all of our efforts combined. Still, it did seem a tad phony - but so too would be having less impact just for the joy of nailing drywall.
The next week we moved much faster through our production, as our improved skill made up for our aching muscles. We finished a complete housing frame in about 3 days, then helped another group before moving to a new site to start, but not finish, another wooden frame for another struggling family. Our last day in Casablanca we had a going away party, to which we invited all the families we had worked with. We were showered with thanks from the families and even the recipient's extended families, which more than made up for the bruises, scrapes, sunburn, and sore muscles.
Pictures here: http://pics.livejournal.com/vicar/gallery/00026bbe
More to follow in the same gallery. Specifically, tickface.
About Habitat in Chile:
When you worked for Habitat, you contributed a "donation" which the group reserved the right to reallocate. This was enough to make a donation, cover room and board, etc. Then you paid your own transportation costs, and provided free labor to build homes in the selected locale.
Short version:
Like that old army phrase, it was "the toughest job you'll ever love." A group of nearly 20 of us came together from across this country to serve the poor in Chile. This was an unusual program for Habitat, for it had some funding from the Chilean government. The recipients were not the poorest of the poor - rather, they owned a piece of land and could therefore benefit from housing supplied to them in the long term. While they were not the most destitute in the area, they did live in substandard conditions, to include housing made from spare parts including scraps of tin (usually on the roof held down with large rocks), used wooden pallets, old signs, and even one section of a home that was made of clay and small sticks. During our time there, the Habitat volunteers managed to build concrete slabs for housing, over 6 wooden frames for houses, and do some finishing. Another team was to arrive shortly after we left to put up the insides and siding of the homes we had constructed. We generally worked with the families who were to receive the housing, and they were extremely grateful. I am grateful for the experience as I could see immediately the good my efforts would support. Our team built over 6 house frames which in a few weeks, which will soon be completed homes for at least 6 families.
Long version:
From day 1 we plowed into the work, and were inspired by our surroundings. The grounds we were building the house on were straight out of a movie. The front fence was made of plywood and wooden pallets - the back and a side were just pallets for the most part. The back of the yard had a chicken coop with 2 chickens and a rooster, the rooster making his noise off and on all day while the chickens just made low clucking noises. The coop itself was more patches than chicken-wire. A tired old pan provided water. The chickens provided eggs to eat - these were not pets. Skinny dogs filled the yards, while skinnier dogs filled the street outside. I've seen this sort of thing mimicked in a thousand movie cliches, but nothing could convey the feeling of working in the midst of it for days on end.
The first home we saw occupying the land was consistent with many in the area. It was a patchwork of a wooden structures made of re-used posts and scraps of wood - everything from plywood to used signs. The roof was an assortment of mismatched pieces of corrugated tin held down with large rocks. The inside of each house (for we worked on two at first) was interesting. It looked more civilized and organized than the outside and dirt floors would lead you to believe. One had a radio, the other a tv, as the houses did have electricity. They also had running water, through hoses, though it only appeared to go into a jerry-rigged shower and toilet - a toilet that lacked a seat. There was a washing machine, and laundry lines filled the dirt yard on the side. Each girl that lived in the area had long hair. They looked clean, dressed decently - you wouldn't think they had emerged from these modest shacks. When you saw the decrepit walls of the shacks, you might not expect to have the well-stocked bookshelves or family portraits that were placed with care inside.
This home had several dogs living there, all the small ones running loose, including a small white mom and her 4 pups, a beagle mix pup, and a small black long-haired dog we named tick-face. I thought he had a tick or two on his face (hence the name) until I petted him and realized he had dozens - we only saw the ones that swelled up with his blood.
We had luxurious conditions by comparison, but they were poor by USian standards. We shared rooms with 2 twin beds and 3 feet between them. 6 total shared a bathroom which had one shower which was about 2x2', and a toilet with running water in which you were not allowed to flush toilet paper. Most of these areas had toilets, but separate trash cans by them for all paper products - even used, even used for that. We were fed great quantities of food, but it was not food you would wolf down if you were not terribly hungry. We sat at plastic lawn tables and chairs in the cramped kitchen/dining room.
Day 1 I was on the site I worked on for the longest time. First I met Omar, a toddler, and his mother Alexandra (I originally mistook her for his older sister). Alexandra was a girl that was not afraid of working either. Her technique wasn't the greatest, but she was fearless and strong. She powered through whatever she could do.
For all of these processes we were directed by a crew of experienced locals. They spoke no english, our spanish for those of us that spoke it was poor and incomplete; but with gestures and examples they were able to get us going on what needed doing. In the back a space was cleared where a concrete slab was made that had pieces of rebar lining the outside at regular intervals. We started making frames, then moved to the sidewalk outside to made trusses for the roof.
Day 2 we sped up and finished more frames - I'm not sure if it was day 3 or 4 when we hoisted them up and nailed them into place. Shortly thereafter we crawled up on the top, dragged the trusses into place, and nailed them up - along with some support and framing boards for getting the siding in place. I adopted the moniker of "El mono" for my habit of crawling on the frame to find easier angles to hammer from, well that and my stint of pretending to groom and eat bugs off a team leader. We apparently made better time than they expected, completing 3 complete wooden house frames fixed on the concrete on 3 different locations in our first complete week. The last half of the last day we went to another site to mix and pour our first concrete slab. The outside of the concrete frame was already set so we could quickly mix and pour the concrete.
The program in Chile is unusual - it's linked to the government and only helps people who can benefit from help. For instance, only landowners can even apply for assistance. The area economy is ok, but much of the employment is in the local wineries which have peak employment cycles that only last 3 months of the year. It was an unusual area - while in the city you saw lots of barred windows, broken glass-lined concrete walls, and razor wire - in Casablanca, a more rural area, the scrap-shacks often stood near well manicured lawns and nice houses. Habitat usually has the recipients work a fixed number of hours on the site, pay for the mortgage on a schedule, and is fully private with no government involvement. This branch in Chile seems to be a bit of an experiment for them, to see how this particular government program interaction would help or hinder.
After our first week we found out we wouldn't be finishing the houses we started. Delta Airlines was involved in some corporate sponsorship, and would be sending a team down to do the finishing work - great photo op. Some of our team was upset by this, wanting to see the jobs to completion themselves. I rather like the idea as we were doing good work, credit isn't important, and corporate sponsorship would be worth more funding than all of our efforts combined. Still, it did seem a tad phony - but so too would be having less impact just for the joy of nailing drywall.
The next week we moved much faster through our production, as our improved skill made up for our aching muscles. We finished a complete housing frame in about 3 days, then helped another group before moving to a new site to start, but not finish, another wooden frame for another struggling family. Our last day in Casablanca we had a going away party, to which we invited all the families we had worked with. We were showered with thanks from the families and even the recipient's extended families, which more than made up for the bruises, scrapes, sunburn, and sore muscles.
Pictures here: http://pics.livejournal.com/vicar/gallery/00026bbe
More to follow in the same gallery. Specifically, tickface.
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no subject
Date: 2008-10-16 04:44 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-10-16 04:55 pm (UTC)I'm sad you can hardly see the ticks though. Or, not sad.
no subject
Date: 2008-10-19 07:04 pm (UTC)Because you said you were surprised more people responded to the other post, I am posting here.
Thanks for sharing your experience. It's interesting that you got to work on a lot of different houses and therefore get a glimpse into many different lives. That part sounded the coolest to me.
I also loved the comment that some had plumbing and energy efficient light bulbs, but no walls. I immediately wondered if a foreign development project or national program provided those things, but not walls. By chance, did you ask?
More comments a bit later. Hugs!
no subject
Date: 2008-10-20 05:59 pm (UTC)