Giving Selflessly

Mr. Jaime in his new bedroom

CONTINUING WITH THE STORY of the Morán Ballesteros family, you have previously learnt that this is a very humble family living in extreme conditions of poverty. Until a few weeks ago they lived in a house made of estera and reeds, unsafe and dangerous materials. I have also progressively shared about the opportune initiative of the housing project of the non-profit organization CHOI that, through its Affordable and Safe Housing Demo could replace the old house of this family by a new one made of affordable and safe materials. Presently the are already living in their new house. If you have seen the post of their old house you realized that they did not have appropriate beds to sleep nor a decent kitchen.

The good news is that the ladies who came to Chimbote some days ago from the USA with the LOS AMIGOS board, blessed the Morán Ballesteros by granting them 6 beds (with their respective bedcovers), a kitchen sink and two storage cabinets. Also, an Irish is contributing money to pay for Jaime Morán Ballesteros to attend vocational training to become a welder and Americans are congtributing money to help the other kids go back to school. This is a good example to follow.

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DANDO DESINTERESADAMENTE

A storage cabinet

CONTINUANDO CON LA HISTORIA de la familia Morán Ballesteros, ustedes han llegado a saber que ésta es una familia muy humilde que vive en condicines extremas de necesidad. Hasta hace unas semanas ellos vivían en una casa hecha de estera y cañas, materiales peligrosos y no seguros. También he compartido progresivamente acerca de la oportuna iniciativa del proyecto de vivienda de la ONG CHOI que, através de su Demo de Vivienda Económica y Segura, pudo reemplazar la casa antigua de ésta familia por una nueva hecha de materiales económicos y seguros. Actualmente ellos ya están viviendo en su nueva casa. Si ustedes han visto el post de su antigua casa entonces se han dado cuenta que no tenían camas apropiadas para dormir ni una cocina decente.

La buena noticia es que las damas que vinieron a Chimbote hace algunos días desde los Estados Unidos con la Junta Directiva de LOS AMIGOS, bendijeron a la familia Morán Ballesteros donándoles 6 camas camarotes (con sus respectivas cubrecamas), un fregadero y 2 reposteros. También un benefactor irlandés aportará dinero para pagar la capacitación de Jaime Morán Ballesteros en soldadura y benefactores americanos aportarán dinero también para ayudar a que los otros adolescentes de la familia regresen al colegio. Éste es un buen ejemplo a imitar.

Click on the image below or on the link to see more PICTURES. (Haga click en la imagen de abajo o en el enlace para ver más fotos)

Finished Affordable Housing Project

The finished house

IT HAS BEEN some days since I have started sharing with you about the Affordable and Safe Housing Demo, which is part of the CHOI Housing Project. By my anterior post you have heard, through a video, more information about this project. Now I will share with you some pictures of the finished home of the Morán Ballesteros family who now have a new home made of safe and affordable materials, which is the first one all over Perú, built with of that kind of materials. The whole family is very thankful to the non-profit American organization LOS AMIGOS by its support and, in a special way, extends their heartfelt thanks to the non-profit Peruvian organization CHOI (Chimbote Opportunities Ilimited) for making possible for them to have a worthy house to live in. It is now expected stepping forward with this project making it accessible to the poor of Chimbote.

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PROYECTO VIVIENDA ECONÓMICA TERMINADO

Jaime in his bedroom

HAN PASADO algunos días desde que he empezado a compartir con ustedes acerca del Demo de Vivienda Económica y Segura, la cual es parte del Projecto de Vivienda de CHOI. Por mi anterior post han escuchado, a través de un video, más información acerca de éste proyecto. Ahora compartiré con ustedes algunas fotografías de la casa terminada de la familia Morán Ballesteros quienes ahora tienen una nueva casa hecha de materiales seguros y económicos la cual es la primera, en todo el Perú, construída con ese tipo de materiales. Toda la familia está muy agradecida a la organización americana sin fines de lucro LOS AMIGOS por su apoyo y, de manera muy especial, extiende su más sincero agradecimiento a la organización peruana sin fines de lucro CHOI (Chimbote Oportunidades Ilimitadas) por hacer posible que ellos tengan una casa digna donde vivir. Ahora se espera seguir adelante con este proyecto haciéndolo accesible a los pobres de Chimbote.

Click on the image below or on the link to see more PICTURES. (Haga click en la imagen de abajo o en el enlace para ver más fotos)

Interview On Housing Demo

BY MY ANTERIOR POST you have learnt about the LOS AMIGOS Board visit to Chimbote. Here in town they were also working on the Affordable and Safe Housing Demo, promoted by CHOI, for the Morán Ballesteros family which is replacing their old house made of unsafe and dangerous materials (estera and reeds) by a new house made of affordable and safe materials (floor concrete blocks and wall papercrete panel). In this new post I will share with you about a interview that the present LOS AMIGOS Executive Director Ms. Susan Thrnka made to the present CHOI Consultant Mr. Jorge Villar who explained all about this Housing Project that is headed to the poor families of Chimbote.

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ENTREVISTA SOBRE EL DEMO DE VIVIENDA

POR MI ANTERIOR POST ustedes han sido informados acerca de la visita de la Junta Directiva de LOS AMIGOS a Chimbote. Aquí en la ciudad ellos también estuvieron trabajando en el Demo de Vivienda Económica y Segura, promovido por CHOI, para la familia Morán Ballesteros el cual está reemplazando su antigua casa hecha de materiales no seguros y peligrosos (estera y cañas) por una nueva casa hecha de materiales económicos y seguros (bloques de concreto para piso y paneles de papercrete para pared). En este nuevo post compartiré con ustedes acerca de una entrevista que la actual directora ejecutiva de LOS AMIGOS Sra. Susan Thrnka hizo al actual consultor de CHOI Sr. Jorge Villar quien explicó sobre todo lo relacionado al proyecto de vivienda que está dirigido a las familias pobres de Chimbote.

Affordable Housing Project - 11: Los Amigos Board Visit

Painting the side wall

IT IS INSPIRING and encouraging seeing how foreign people take part of their time to come down, very willing and from a far away country, to assist the poor people of Chimbote. Some days ago the Los Amigos Board of Director members, a Non-Profit Faith-Based American Organization working for the poorest of Chimbote - Perú since many years ago, were visiting this town in order to carry out their scheduled activities as Board members. On this trip, they were not only performing activities inherent to their official responsabilities but also took time to work by helping in building of the Morán Ballesteros family's house, which was chosen to be the Affordable and Safe Housing Pilot Plan - an initiative of CHOI's nascent housing project. Well, as you have learnt from my anterior post, there was still work to do in the pilot plan.

So this enthusiastic American team, from early in the morning, began working on several activities by: Painting the side walls of the house; caulking concrete blocks of the floor; painting the walls of the living room, dining room, kitchen, bedroom; helping to build the second and the third bedroom, etc. The Los Amigos Board was composed by: Vice President Mr. Mike Christenson (the Presidente Mr. Ron Stensgard visited Chimbote some weeks ago), Treasureer Mr. Scott Sanders, Secretary and Economic Opportunities Council Chairman Mr. Earl Milbrath, present Executive Director Ms.Susan Thrnka, among others.

That day there was a nourished mixture of people working on the demo home. CHOI's Executive Director Mr. Orlando Bermúdez was also there together with CHOI's External Consultant Mr. Jorge Villar. This way Peruvian workers, guided by the Engr. Pablo Muguerza, were greatly supported in the execution of the demo and so, the Affordable and Safe Housing demo is nearly finished.

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PROYECTO VIVIENDA ECONÓMICA - 11: VISITA DE LA JUNTA DIRECTIVA DE "LOS AMIGOS"

Working in the bedroom

ES INSPIRADOR y anima el ver como gente extranjera toma parte de su tiempo para venir, muy dispuestos y desde un lejano país, para ayudar a los pobres de Chimbote. Hace algunos días los miembros de la junta directiva de LOS AMIGOS, una organización norteamericana sin fines de lucro y basada en la fe que trabaja por los más pobres de Chimbote - Perú desde hace muchos años, estuvieron visitando ésta ciudad con el objetivo de desarrollar sus actividades programadas como miembros de la directiva. En este viaje, ellos no solo estuvieron cumpliendo actividades inherentes a sus responsabilidades oficiales sino que también se dieron tiempo para trabajar ayudando en la construcción de la casa de la familia Morán Ballesteros, la cual fue elegida para ser el Piloto de Vivienda Económica y Segura - una iniciativa del naciente proyecto de vivienda de CHOI. Bien, como ustedes saben de mi anterior post, todavía había trabajo que hacer en el piloto.

Así, este equipo americano entusiasta, empezó a trabajar desde temprano en varias actividades: Pintando el muro perimétrico de la casa; masillando los bloques de concreto del piso de la casa; pintando las paredes de la sala, comedor, cocina y dormitorio; ayudando a construir el segundo y tercer dormitorio, etc. La Directiva de LOS AMIGOS estuvo compuesta por: El Vice Presidente Sr. Mike Christenson (el presidente Sr. Ron Stensgard visitó Chimbote hace algunas semanas), Tesorero Sr. Scott Sanders, Secretario y Director del Concejo de Oportunidades Económicas Sr. Earl Milbrath, actual Directora Ejecutiva Sra. Susan Thrnka, entre otros.

Ese día hubo una nutrida mezcla de personas trabajando en la casa piloto. El Director Ejecutivo de CHOI Sr. Orlando Bermúdez también estuvo allí junto con el Consultor Externo de CHOI Sr. Jorge Villar. De esta manera los trabajadores peruanos, guiados por el Ing. Pablo Muguerza, fueron grandemente apoyados en la ejecución del demo y así, el Piloto de Vivienda Económica y Seguea está casi terminada.

Click on the image below or on the link to see more PICTURES.

Affordable Housing Project - 10

Two new bedrooms

THE EXECUTION of the Affordable and Safe Housing Pilot Plan of CHOI, is being carried out as previously planned by the team in charge of this demo. All performed activities, involving pilot plan, are being executed successfully so far. Day after day the members of the Morán Ballesteros family can see how their house, formerly made of unsafe and dangerous materials such as estera and reed, is turning into a new and beautiful one but this time made of safe, affordable, non-dangerous materials. By my anterior post you have learnt workers have finishing building the roof of some rooms of the house and started building the walls of the second bedroom.

By this new post I want to share about new activities performed in another working day of this demo. Well, workers started to build the third bedroom of the house and also to make some finishing touches to the activities previously made. The executive director of CHOI, Mr. Orlando Bermúdez, very often visits the house under construction to stay update about the progress of this pilot plan. On the other side the Eng. Pablo Muguerza, incharge of the technical part of this demos, oversees every detail of the work.

--------------- Traducción al Español ---------------

PROYECTO VIVIENDA ECONÓMICA - 10

Making the third bedroom

LA EJECUCIÓN del plan piloto de Provisión de Vivienda Económica y Segura de CHOI, continúa realizándose como estuvo previamente planeada por el equipo de éste demo. Todas las actividades realizadas, que forman parte del plan piloto, se vienen ejecutando de manera exitosa hasta ahora. Día tras día, los miembros de la familia Morán Ballesteros pueden ver como su casa, anteriormente hecho de materiales no seguros y peligrosos tales como estera y caña, se está convirtiendo en una casa nueva y hermosa pero esta vez hecha de materiales seguros, económicos y no peligrosos. A través de mi anterior post ustedes se informaron que los trabajadores terminaron de hacer el techo de algunas piezas de la casa y empezaron a hacer las paredes del segundo dormitorio.

En este nuevo post quiero compartir acerca de las nuevas actividades realizadas en otro día de trabajo de éste demo. Bien, los trabajadores empezaron a construír el tercer dormitorio de la casa y también a hacer algunos toques finales a las actividades previamente hechas. El director ejecutivo de CHOI, Sr. Orlando Bermúdez, visita frecuentemente la casa en construcción para enterarse del progreso del plan piloto. Por otro lado el Ing. Pablo Muguerza, encargado de la parte técnica del mismo, supervisa cada detalle de la obra.

Click on the image below or on the link to see more PICTURES. (Haga click en la imagen de abajo o en el enlace para ver más fotos)

Affordable Housing Project - 9

The living room of the house

THE previous activity I shared with you all on the Affordable and Safe Housing Demo, auspiced by CHOI, was about the beginning of roof construction of the house of the Morán Ballesteros family. In this new activity, construction workers finished to make the roof of the living room, dining room, kitchen, corridor and the first bedroom of the house demo. After that, they started to build new walls, by assembling 4mm superboard panels provided by CHOI, to construct the second bedroom located next to the first bedroom previously built.

Family members can not wait to use their new house and are indeed very excited that started to occupy the kitchen and the bedroom for a little while. On the other hand, Jaime Morán Ballesteros - a family member - started to paint the front wall of the house and putty between papercrete panels.

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Affordable Housing Project - 8

Making the roof of the house demo

CONSIDERING my last updates you must know, at this point, that I have been sharing with you about the Affordable and Safe Housing Demo being built - under CHOI's auspice - for the benefit of the Morán Ballesteros family; one of many living in extreme poverty here in Chimbote-Perú. From my anterior post you have learnt that walls of the kitchen and a bedroom were finished. By this new post you will know that workers started to make the roof of a part the house. This activity first began by making wooden structures that will uphold Eternit panels that will form the roof of the living room, dining room, kitchen, corridor and a bedroom of the house.

This way and progressively the Affordable and Safe Housing Demo continues to run. Workers, under direction of Eng. Pablo Muguerza, work the entire day to finish this pilot plan as soon as possible. This house, that is being built with affordable and safe materials, wakes up people's interest stopping by at the place since they have not seen this kind of house before in the area.

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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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