Affordable Housing Project - 7

BY MY ANTERIOR POST you have learnt on the start of the making of the interior walls for the kitchen and a bedroom of the Morán Ballesteros family's house. As you can see, the running of the Affordable and Safe Housing Pilot Plant, part of CHOI's Housing Project, is progressively going on. Well, I want to share with you that on the seventh working day of this demo, workers have finished doing the kitchen and a bedroom walls using 4 mm superboard panels and this way the living room and dining room walls are finished also.

On the other hand, workers continued to set up more concrete blocks on the ground of the back of the house. It was also necessary to improve drain installation for the family. Some people who stopped by at the house were very curious about this housing demo and wanted to know more about this kind of house and materials used in its building. Some of them said that would like to have a house like this.

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Affordable Housing Project - 6

SINCE THE PERIMETER of the Morán Ballesteros family's house was finished (according to the information I shared with you through my anterior post); now, by this new post, I would like to share about activities that took place in the sixth day of execution of the Affordable and Safe Housing Pilot Plan which is part of the CHOI's Housing Project. This new working day involved the start of the making of the interior walls for the kitchen and a bedroom. It was used 4 mm superboard panels (drywall) and wood tables to form the walls. These panels, as well as wood tables, were provided by CHOI.

The walls of the kitchen and that bedroom will allow to form, at the same time, the living room and dining room. There will be a corridor between the kitchen and that bedroom leading to the back of the house. Meanwhile, more green concrete blocks were set up on the ground to keep expanding the floor.

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Affordable Housing Project - 5

SEVERAL DAYS HAVE GONE BY since the beginning of the execution of the Affordable and Safe Housing Pilot Plan promoted by the CHOI's Housing Project. Little by little the Morán Ballesteros family is seeing as their old house is becoming a new and different one. So far and by my previous post, you have learnt that workers have started to make the side wall or perimeter of the house. Now it is time to share with you all what workers have made in the fifth working day of this demo. Well, in this new activity, workers continued making the house perimeter by assembling more papercrete panels and holding them together using wood tables and screws.

Even, more concrete blocks were set up on the ground to form the floor of a new bedroom. At the end of the working day the house perimeter was finished successfully. Workers are doing a good job under direction of the Eng. Pablo Muguerza who is in charge of the technical part.

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Affordable Housing Project - 4

THROUGH MY ANTERIOR POST you have learnt about the third working day running the Affordable and Safe Housing Pilot Plan that is part of the Housing Project impulsed by CHOI to provide affordable and safe houses for the poor families of Chimbote. In this new activity, corresponding to the fourth working day, workers have started building the side wall (perimeter) of the Morán Ballesteros family's house. To achieve this, they had to assemble several papercrete panels by using wood tables and screws. At the same time other workers were placing more concrete blocks on the ground to keep completing the floor of the house. It is expected to finish the perimeter the next working day.

Since workers continue to work, the family members stay at the back of their house. They feel very happy even can hardly believe what their eyes see, their own house being built. Eng. Pablo Muguerza, as always, lead the pilot plan. The CHOI's executive director Mr. Orlando Bermúdez often visits the place to know by himself how the progress of the demo is going. Mr. Jorge Villar also visits the site often.

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Affordable Housing Project - 3

I AM HERE AGAIN TO KEEP SHARING with you all on the progress of the implementation of the affordable and safe housing demo for the Morán Ballesteros family living here in Chimbote - Perú. As you know, this demo is part of CHOI's housing project. So far, I have shared about the first and second day of activities of the pilot plan. Through this new post, you are going to know on the third day of activities that involved the making of the front wall of the house, by assembling papercrete panels, and the placement of more concrete blocks on the ground in order to keep making the floor.

So, from early in the morning until afternoon, workers hired by CHOI and some members of the Morán Ballesteros family were working to keep in the making of the floor and in the assembly of the front wall. Eng. Pablo Muguerza was present the whole time overseeing the right execution of the work. Mr. Jaime Morán together with his chilcren are very happy of seeing that their house is formed gradually.

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Affordable Housing Project - 2

CONTINUING WITH the implementation of the affordable housing demo (that is part of CHOI's Home Improvement Program: Better House, Better Life that will benefit the Morán Ballesteros family, a very poor family) and having been completed the anterior labor (leveling process of the ground); by this post I want to share the next activity that took place in their house some days ago. This new activity started with the placement of  the first concrete blocks on the ground of what will be the living room and dining room of the house. Little by little the floor made of affordable products was being formed. At the same time other workes, hired by CHOI, were preparing the first papercret panel to place it as one of the several panels that will form the perimeter walls of the house.

As the time went by, more concrete blocks were placed on the ground leveling them one by one. Papercrete panels stayed standing firmly because they were screwed to wood which also helped to unite panel to panel. While this work was doing, more panels and wood were brought to the place. In my next post I will share more about progress of this demo.

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Affordable Housing Project - 1

THE MORÁN BALLESTEROS FAMILY, living in extreme conditions of poverty, was chosen to execute the first housing pilot plan using affordable products: Concrete blocks for floor and papercrete panels for walls; which are being made by the affordable housing project which belongs to the new program from CHOI called Home Improvement Program: Better House Better Life. The project already has the quantity needed of these products to build this kind of house for this family. So, I will share with you, through this post, on the first activity performed of this pilot plan or demo, which was about carrying out the leveling process of the ground of the property, using sand and small rocks, in which Mr. Evaristo Morán Campos, the family father, together with his children and some workers hired by CHOI were working.

Mr. Orlando Bermúdez, CHOI executive director is monitoring the pilot plan and, as usual, the Eng. Pablo Muguerza, is leadering and overseeing the site activities, as responsible for the technical part. After the leveling process was over, blocks and panels were brought to the Morán Ballesteros' house which will be used in construction. This way everything is ready to start installing these products and building the house.

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Economical Building Materials

FLOOR CONCRETE BLOCKS and Walls Papercrete Panels are being built in progressive quantities. This activity is part of the pilot plan of the affordable housing project belonging to the Home Improvemente Program - HIP: Better House Better Life, which is currently being implemented by the non-profit organization CHOI as one of its recent ones focused now on housing. Previously I have shared, through my blog, on the beginning of this housing project, which started as a need to provide affordable building materials, to build houses, to those families living specially in poor neighborhoods here in Chimbote. Execution of this project involved many progressive activities from the deficient making of the first prototipes of these products, which did not pass the laboratoy test, to the making of the last prototipes that did pass successfully the laboratoy tests, including the fire test in the case of papercrete panels, finishing this way the period of quality control tests that were made to them.

The place chosen, to the making in great quantities of concrete blocks and papercrete panels (while seeking a more suitable place) was a part of the secoond floor of the Youth House, which is presently the headquartes of CHOI. This property belongs to the Provincial Municipality of Santa. So, since over two months ago, masons hired by CHOI were and continue making these products supervised by the skilled guidance of the Eng. Pablo Muguerza Toro, responsible for the technical part of this project.

So, they are continuing to make 40cm x 40cm sized concrete blocks in three colors: Red, blue and green but they may be made using other types of colors also. At the same time they are making 2mt x 1mt sized papercrete panels. As a result of this making there is an acceptable quantity of these products, so far, ready to be used to build an affordable house. These products were used, for the very first time, to make the floor and to build the kitchen for the soup kitchen located in "25 de Mayo" neighborhood. I will share on this later. Also they are being used to build an affordable housing demo in "10 de Setiembre" neighborhood.

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Living In Extreme Poverty

HERE IN CHIMBOTE there is a lot of very poor neighborhoods located in the outskirts of the city where most families live in extreme poverty. The great need to meet is food. So they do their best, in any way, I mean, in amazing ways, in order to earn some money to provide food for the whole family. It is about surviving each single day so there is no room to think of other needs, which is also necessary to focus on. One of those families is the Morán Ballesteros family living in Q-13 "10 de Setiembre" neighborhood. This familiy is composed by 6 people.

Mr. Evaristo Jaime Morán Campos is the family father and is 42 years old (his wife passed away because of bronchopneumonia in december 2007. When she was alive she used to sell cinnamon, cloves, pepper, salt and other spices walking around a local market called "2 de Mayo" and sometimes cooked for other people to make money) Presently Mr. Evaristo works in a fishing factory from Monday to Saturday and from 6:00 am to 11:00 pm but, unfortunately fishing is not a very profitable activity currently as it used to be before. So when he does not work at fishing factory he goes to a local market to sell pencils, pens, erasers, keyholders, etc. walking around.

These are his children: Edwar William Morán Ballesteros is the oldest son and is 18 years old. He suffered a terrible sickness when he was 2 years old. He overcame it but sadly his nervous system was affected slightly. He studied only at elementary school until the second grade. Jaime Junior Morán Ballesteros is 17 years old. He studied at high school until the second year; three years left for he to finish high school. He currently works selling the same stuff as his dad. He would like to finish high school and study at university or technical school. When he was at school he was trained as a carpenter. He is smart and took advantage of circumstances to learn shoemaking and welding also. Currently a friend of his is teaching him how to make bread.

Estefany Johana Morán Ballesteros is 15 years old. She studied in high school but only until the first year. She takes care of her younger brother who is disabled. Pedro José Morán Ballesteros is 12 years old and this little boy is disabled. He attended a special school for disabled children but only for two years. Ana Saraí Morán Ballesteros is the youngest and is 8 years old. She attended elementary school and studied there only until the second grade. She is no longer attending school but she would like to. I saw she also has ability to study. Even though all of them were studying in public schools for free however there are several expenses they had to face like cost of uniforms, school supplies, fee for copies, workshops, etc. Unfortunately the family didn't and doesn't have enough money for them to continue to study.

The family does not even have enough money to build their house because, as I told you lines above, all money earned must be used to buy food. The only choice they had to build their house was to use "estera" for walls and roof, a very cheap but unsafe material for this purpose. Each estera is a very flexible panel made of reed woven which is used by poor families. Some disadvantages of estera: Highly flammable, permeable to cold, short duration, vulnerable to theft, etc. In 2002 the non-profit organization Los Amigos del Padre Juan built a bathroom made of cement for this family. Some days ago its president Mr. Ron Stensgard visited this house.

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Rocío Huertas: Scholar 8

SCHOLARSHIP HOLDER Nº 8

PERSONAL INFORMATION:

First Namexxxxxxx: Rocío Jannaly

Last Namexxxxxxiii: Huertas Namoc

Agexxxxxxxxxiiiiiiii: 18 years old

Addressxxxxxxxxiii: A.H. "La Victoria", Psje. Grau O-15

Addressxxxxxxxxiii: (O-15 Grau passageway, "La Victoria" Settlement)

Careerxxxxxxxxxiii: Technical Nursing

Study Institutioniii: I.S.T.P. "Carlos Salazar Romero"

School Start Datexi: May - 2010

School End Datexiii: Dec - 2012

GOALS IN LIFE:

I want to finish my career, keep studying, and achieve success.

FAMILY INFORMATION:

My dad works at a mechanic workshop and my mom is a housewife. My sister is 13 years old and in high school.

Leslie Tomás: Scholar 7

SCHOLARSHIP HOLDER Nº 7

PERSONAL INFORMATION:

First Namexxxxxxx: Leslie Misbell

Last Namexxxxxxiii: Tomás Miranda

Agexxxxxxxxxiiiiiiii: 17 years old

Addressxxxxxxxxiii: A.H. "Santa Irene", Jr. Los Precursores C-27

Addressxxxxxxxxiii: (C-27 Los Precursores St, "Santa Irene"

Addressxxxxxxxxiii: Settlement)

Careerxxxxxxxxxiii: Accounting

Study Institutioniii: I.S.T.P. "Carlos Salazar Romero"

School Start Datexi: May - 2010

School End Datexiii: Dec - 2012

GOALS IN LIFE:

I want to finish my career and create a micro-business in order to help my family a little. I would also like to help people working on a non-profit organization.

FAMILY INFORMATION:

I have a sister who is a senior in high school, my mom is a housewife, and my dad works with sound equipment.

Scholars Meeting September 2010

APART FROM COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT through knowledge, which makes every human being grow as person, it is also important considering his/her emotional development. Knowing this, the executive director of CHOI in coordination with the director of "Dollars for Scholars and Leaders for Tomorrow", one of its programs, have scheduled a training event headed to scholar holders of the program. The event was held on Sunday September 26th, 2010 at 9:00am in CHOI headquarters located in H-4 Antenor Orrego neighborhood. A psychologist was invited as the main speaker who was sharing an interesting topic: Self-steem.

Students have received information that allowed them realizing the condition of their self-steem and also some advices to strengthen it. There was a time for questions of students. Several of them made thoughtful ones. The psychologist answered all questions and also invited them to keep in touch with him if they had the need for personal counseling. On the other hand and, as in previous meetings with scholars, the president of Chimbote ROTARY Club and the director of Chimbote ROTARACT together with some of its members were present in this new meeting.

Mr. Orlando Bermúdez, executive director of CHOI, congratulated two scholars of the program who occupied the top positions, the first places for becoming the best students, at higher study centers where they are studying in a professional career. Also, five scholars were awarded a certificate each of them for their special assistance in 2010 Medical Campaign performed by Los Amigos Medical Aid (LAMA) team which took place here in Chimbote in February this year and that was headed to the families of the poorest neighborhoods who have no enough money to access medical care.

Students, divided previously into 15 groups, were sharing on the progress of their community service projects. Through slides, they reported attendees about activities they carried out as a part of the execution of their project. This way the meeting was over.

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Scholars Meeting July 2010

ON SUNDAY, AUGUST 01st 2010 it was held a meeting with all scholarship holders, recipients of the "Dollars For Scholarship and Leaders for Tomorrow" program from CHOI. The meeting took place at Youth House, current headquarters of the NGO CHOI. In response to this assistance through the program, students have organized themselves into 15 groups to design community service projects for the benefit of community they live in or the surrounding ones. These projects are related to horticulture, bio gardening, environmental care, medical care, recycling, etc. Scholars come together monthly with leaders of CHOI and other guests to share on community service projects they are involved in and to be trained on important topics such as leadership, teamwork, self esteem, scale of values, etc. which will help them in their personal and professional development.

CHOI executive director Mr. Orlando Bermúdez, the program director Mr. Rafael Armas and the program coordinator Mr. Carlos Alayo were present in the meeting. I, Pablo Beltrán, was invited along with a friend of mine named Timothy Merkel from Maryland-USA. In this meeting, Mr. Earl Milbrath from Minnesota-USA was also present. He currently serves as Secretary of the "LOS AMIGOS" Board of Directors and as the Chairman of the Economic Development Council which is a committee operating under the direction of the "LOS AMIGOS" Board. He is also the U.S. administrator for the Dollars for Scholars and Leaders for Tomorrow program, which is presently helping 60 students attend university and technical schools in order to get a career and have helped over 160 students, considering the graduated.

Mr. Earl Milbrath has been helping this program since many years ago. He looks for donors and people willing in order to assist financially this program from the USA so poor youth of Chimbote will be able to have a chance to grow as persons, professionals, members of their family and community and so contribute, with their assets and knowledges, for their personal and community development. He encouraged them to continue to study despite of hard times they could deal with as youth. The scholars, one by one, expressed their gratitude for the help received and most of them said that Earl Milbrath was like a dad for them. He was touched by these words.

The Chimbote ROTARY Club president Dr. Carmen Hurtado and ROTARACT director Mr. Cristian Carthy along with some of its members were also invited to the meeting. Dr. Carmen congratuled scholars for keeping the way of the studies and encouraged them to keep forward focused on their goals taking advantage of this great opportunity they all have to study considering that there are still many young people out there from poor neighborhoods waiting for a chance. Mr. Cristian invited scholar to be part of ROTARACT and this way make contact with other students to share experiences and serve the others.

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