A quick recap for those who haven't visited the blog in the past week: I made a decision last week to launch a new project in Tarija to help families here that are living so far below the poverty level they can't even qualify for Habitat's minimum requirements, without your generous donations (to understand why, click here). We are continuing with the homes in Villamontes, and I will return there frequently to help supervise the progress. Habitat is going to fund the homes in Villamontes as part of their annual goals. I am shifting the funds that you have so generously provided to start the project here in Tarija to have even more impact with a group of families who have no other options.
The past few days have been a fantastic, bittersweet blur as I took the 11 hour night bus to Villamontes Wednesday, worked with the families and albaniles in Villamontes Thursday, took the 11 hour night bus back to Tarija Thursday night, got an apartment in Tarija, and began reviewing our pool of over 300 families Friday and Sunday.
Great progress in Villamontes! When I arrived on Thursday morning, it was extremely exciting to see that we actually have water now-- despite a corrupt water company threatening to hold out a few more weeks--which means we are in the cement foundation building business, and will soon be putting up walls. I got about 3 questions into the discussion about how we actually managed to get the water, then thought there are some things it is probably better not to know. CLICK HERE to see pictures of the foundations in process!
As I worked with the teams on the homes on Thursday, various families
dropped by and called because they had heard I was leaving to work in Tarija. My landlord made a cake for my bus ride. And Beethoven, my fearless canine running companion gave me a big lick in appreciation of our time together. So when the Habitat lead for Villamontes, Adolfo, asked me if I would come back every few weeks to “supervise” on the weekends (i.e. give the albaniles and the construction team a little pressure to work to deadlines) I couldn’t really say no. The project is in Oscar, my architect’s, capable hands, but it never hurts to have a little extra support. The families, homes, and my life in Villamontes are definitely in my heart.
Yet, on Friday and today when I was working with the new project (which I have named “Amistad” for Friendship) I knew that I had made the right decision. Friday I worked late in the evening reviewing a file of over 300 families with no land, earning around $60/month or less to support a family of 5 or more, with no options for buying a home, and living well below the poverty line. As you might imagine, making the decision on which 50 of those 300 to visit, and ultimately which 15 we will build homes for, is one of the toughest things I have ever done.
CLICK HERE to see more pictures from the first day selecting families in Tarija.
Unlike in the US, there is no real system of home mortgages in Bolivia. The maximum personal credit even wealthy Bolivians can get is around $1000. And the families we are helping live in such subsistence level conditions that saving $4000 will never happen in their lifetime. So without our project and Habitat, these families would never have a home. I began the visits to the families today, and will continue this week. Today’s visits were humbling, but at the same time inspiring. We went to a village in the country to talk with some families.
Amidst the heartbreak of seeing the living conditions, there are moments of great joy… My time living in Italy imparted a love for bocce. Today had a chance to play Bolivian bocce with the old men of the village, using cow bones instead of bocce balls. It’s a lot harder with cow bones—they bounce!
I can’t spend more than 15 minutes in the village without someone trying to feed me (grilled pork and corn, with a spicy aji sauce, served in a little plastic baggy and eaten with your hands) or give me chica, a drink of fermented corn and grapes, the Bolivian equivalent of moonshine.
And the kids are equally fascinated and terrified by me, not having seen many if any foreigners, which results in them running towards me, then stopping a few feet away, and running back to their mothers’ arms.
The village elders, sensing the excitement of the village for a few families, asked me to address the group and say a few words. It was one of the few moments in my life when I was absolutely speechless, moved by the poverty and the conditions in the village. I scraped by, but am hoping to be more articulate when I return Tuesday to continue the interviews.
Saludos from Tarija,
naomi
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