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The
objective of Constru Casa is:
“To improve the living conditions of poor families
in Guatemala by means of offering simple houses, stoves, hygienic toilets
and water filters”.
Social function
A decent house will enable better physical and mental health, and, by
means of this, will improve family and work life. With a new house the
harsh life of these families becomes more bearable!
Women have an increased opportunity to work outside the house which
improves their social position and self esteem. Moreover, a lot of women
work at home, so a new house will improve their working environment.
Additionally, the project generates employment for the
local population and stimulates the local market. Construction workers
and their helpers are educated to become independent constructors.
Initiative
Constru
Casa started in 2004, it is an initiative of Carolien van Heerde. Previously,
she worked as a project manager for various large projects in the Netherlands.
Since 2001, she has been living in Antigua, Guatemala. In Guatemala,
up until now she has worked in various construction projects, as well
as in consultancy and coaching of construction projects supporting various
social project organizations. At the beginning of 2004, she started
the Constru Casa-project.
Selection of
families
Constru Casa always selects the beneficiary families in co-operation
with existing local social project organizations, for instance day care
centres, schools, clinics or committees.
Together with the management and a social worker or contact of the co-operating project-organization, families are selected who qualify for an house. The families are visited to see their current living situation and to examine whether a new house will be an extra stimulus to improve their living conditions. There is no criteria with respect to the make up of the family, only the living conditions are examined.
Regarding the selection, introductory talks will be held
with small groups of 5 to 10 families. A social-economic study is made
with regard to income, social circumstances, stability and level of
self-reliance. Together with the project-organization a fair contribution
is determined, which is to be paid by participating families, taking
into account the family-income. After the selection there is a legal
procedure before the construction process can start.
Products
The products Constru Casa offers to families in order to improve their
living conditions are houses, toilets, cooking stoves and water filters.
The cooking stoves and the water filters are offered in co-operation
with other organizations. In addition, the families are visited twice
a year.
Below you will find a description of the different products.
Housing
Constru Casa offers families a house built of concrete blocks with a
corrugated iron roof and a concrete floor. The families can choose between
different types of houses, varying in design, price and the families’
own contribution. The design is flexible with regard to the position
of the doors and windows. The design is also based on a building method,
which is suitable in areas that are at risk from earthquakes.
A basic house consists of three rooms. In addition to
the basic house, alternatives are also on offer. The alternatives are
in relation to the families’ needs (just a floor, only one room,
a house which can be taken down and put up somewhere else, adjustment
to the living environment (rural appearance).
The
family members choose which type of house they want. They need to show
proof that the land on which they live is theirs. If not, steps will
be undertaken to see if it can be obtained (a procedure that can take
months). If this is not a possibility we will look for other ways to
help the family.
The construction of a Constru Casa house takes about
two or three weeks. The houses are built by two paid local construction
workers and their helper. The families pay a monthly contribution, the
amount of which depends on the type of the house, and on the family-income.
Also, at least one of the family members helps with the construction
of the house. For these conditions a contract will be signed. Then a
date to start building the house will be decided on.
Toilets
On locations that have drainage, a house including a standard toilet
will be built. On locations without drainage, Constru Casa will help
submitting an application, or – in some cases- by offering a latrine.
By offering latrines, Constru Casa co-operates with other organizations
that have a programme for latrines, as well as training for the families.
.
For a toilet or a latrine, the family pays a contribution
of Q600, to be paid in monthly contributions of Q25 during a period
of two years.
Stoven
Constru Casa offers cooking stoves in co-operation with Helps International,
an American organization that offers medical attention in the rural
areas of Guatemala, by sending medical teams.
Helps International have designed a cooking stove that ensures that people use less wood for cooking and that they don’t have a very unhealthy (and unsafe) open fire in their house. Cooking with stoves instead of an open fire reduces the wood consumption by about 70%. So, apart from improving circumstances in relation to health, it also makes it financially more attractive for families to use a cooking stove.
The families are asked to pay a once-only contribution
to the stove of about Q200 on average.
Upkeep
In the first two years after the house has been built, Constru Casa
will visit the house twice a year. With these visits, the following
is achieved:
- We see how the family is doing and how the situation is regarding education and health of the family members;
- We identify problems that have arisen regarding the
house and, if necessary, repair work will be carried out.
Financial
The total labour and material costs of the basic 3-rooms house range
from € 2.000, - to € 2.600, - .
The families pay a contribution for the house that ranges
from € 300,- to € 700,-, depending on their family-income
and the type of house they have chosen. The contribution needs to be
paid off within a period of two years. Most families will pay monthly
an amount of € 13, -, in accordance with the contract, which is
signed by a lawyer.
Most families earn between € 50, - and € 130, - per month.
Next to the monthly payment of the families, the costs of the houses
are completely financed by donations made to the Constru Casa project.
