Welcoming New Scholars

THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR of the Non-Governmental Organization Chimbote Oportunidades Ilimitadas CHOI (Chimbote Unlimited Opportunities) Mr. Orlando Bermúdez and the director of one of its programs called Dollars For Scholarships and Leaders For Tomorrow Mr. Rafael Armas, together with other officers of the NGO CHOI and volunteers, welcomed 40 new studients as beneficiaries of the program in this year 2010. As you must know, each year this program is in charge of recruiting new young people, living in very poor villages surrounding Fr. Jack Davis' parish, who desire to keep higher studies after having completed high school. Recruitment process started last year in November so it was necesary to let young people knew about this programs through several ways.

During that time students had to apply for scholarships and meet very basic requeriments according to the rules and regulations of the program. Until last year, the program could only benefit or support 20 students with scholarships but this year 2010 the number of scholarship recipients has risen up to a rate of 200% which means the program will support 60 students in total this year. These new recipients previously had to approve an admission test which was taken in the institute or university that they have chosen to study their career.

So, from now on they all will receive financial aid from the program during their entire professional training. Those students who did not approve the test, unfortunately neither could be scholarship recipients. Out of all those who approved the test, trying to get a scholarship, were only chosen, by the educational program of CHOI, 40 students according to their strict order of merit. The budget allowed to admit that number of students.

Most of students that approved the admission test and consequently got a scholarship, have studied and prepared academically in the Pre-University Academy Perpetuo Socorro (Perpetual help) which is also another program of CHOI and whose director is Ms. Estefanía Moreno. So, it was a good time to welcome these new students who will get a professional career because of their personal effort and support of the program. Current recipients also attended the welcoming ceremony. I just wanna say to them: You students can make it.

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Goals of the Housing Project

FROM MY anterior post you have learnt about the formal start of the Concret Blocks and Papercrete Panels project, promoted by CHOI. Now, I will share on its goals. The MAIN GOAL of the project is to allow that Chimbote residents have access to these low-priced construction materials as permanent employement is generated for many neighbors. In other words the project depends on demand which is counted on and also on respective broadcast about benefits of these materials. When using them would be achieved to minimize several negative aspects that exists when it is built houses without using concrete blocks as floor and papercret as walls. The project will also improve the conditions of life of the poor people of Chimbote in both security and beautification of their houses.

Here is some benefits that the project will generate:

• Employment for residents of Chimbote
• Low-priced construction materials compared to market prices
• Easy transportation and handling
• Reduction of diseases caused by dust and cold
• They are nonflammable materials
• It is worked with these materials in dry and clean
• Easy installation with no expenses of skilled labor
• Earthquakeproof, heatproof, noiseproof materials
• Non-putrescible materials
• Damaged blocks are changed independently
• People with higher self-steem
• Total cleannes of paper and cardboard from houses and city
• Incomes by selling raw material (paper and cardboard)
• Awareness of population on environmental conservation
• Improvement of housing for possible rain.

The person who is in charge of the technical part of the project is the engineer Pablo Muguerza Toro and as it is known Mr. Orlando Bermúdez García (executive director of the non-profit organization CHOI) is in charge of the administrative part of the project. So, continuing with its running the Eng. Pablo Muguerza and his team were making new prototypes of concrete blocks and papercrete panels considering new and better technical specifications in their making. Then samples of concrete and papercrete will be taken to a laboratory of a local university in order to test their quality and resistance.

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Home Improvement Program H.I.P

CURRENT CITIES GO THROUGH DIFFERENT STAGES OF GROWTH. Evolution of each of them corresponds to the constant and hard work of its residents in time. Different actors get involved through all this process who assume important roles and systematicly become part of the living history of a city. Here in Chimbote-Perú one of those social groups is the Nuestra Señora del Perpetuo Socorro parish (Our Lady of Perpetual Help parish) whose priest is Fr. Jack Davis who, due to his love for the poorest people of Chimbote and through his great efforts ro serve them conveniently, together with Sr. Peggy Byrne, founded a Non-Profit Organization called Los Amigos del Padre Juan (The Father Jack's Friends) that for many years, has given and keeps giving support in differents areas to the poor residents of Chimbote. This way it is doing its best to help them live with dignity and hope.

Presently, it continues to try to generate more benefits for community since there are many American people involved with its goals in several ways even as: Members of the board of directors, donors, benefactors, volunteers, etc. On the other hand and in tune to this noble purpose, the non-profit organization Chimbote Oportunidades Ilimitadas CHOI (Chimbote Unlimited Opportunities), an organization under Los Amigos' tutelage, is working on a newfangled, main and affordable housing project called "MAKING OF CONCRETE BLOCKS FOR FLOORS AND CEMENT-PAPER PANELS (PAPERCRETE) FOR WALLS" which is part of CHOI's affordable housing program "Home Improvement Program H.I.P: Better House Better Life", with which is expected to generate a number of advantages and to achieve socio-economic development of a large segment of the population of Chimbote.

LOCATION: Concrete Blocks and Papercrete Panels Project is located in PERÚ country, ANCASH department, DEL SANTA province, CHIMBOTE district, LA VICTORIA neighbothood (where Our Lady of Perpetual Help parish is located) and those surrounding it. This project represents an insight that will have many beneficiaries, will improve the quality of life and will contribute to development of our poor communities.

This main project includes the first two initiatives: Concrete Blocks and Papercrete Panels, that were the foundation for this project and on which I shared previously with you all through these posts: Concrete Blocks (activity 1, activity 2) and Papercrete Panels (activity 1); also, intends to improve all activities anteriorly made in their different aspects.

Click HERE to learn about the goals of the project of the HOME IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM H.I.P

Concrete Blocks - 2

ON THIS POST, I would like to share the second activity about the making of concrete blocks to be used as floor in houses. As you must know, by the first activity on this initiative, the main goal is to provide the posibility the poor residents of Chimbote may count on concrete floor at low price for their houses and this way avoding that family members, specially little children, may get some kind of disease, breathe air mixed with dust, etc. because of having soil floor. In this second activity Mr. Carlos Alayo along with an assistant were making more concrete blocks.

They were working an entire afternoon, even until night, at brickwork San Gerónimo located in Ramal Playa village very near fr. Jacks Davis' parish. It is expected this initiative will be able to get better, in some way, the quality of life of the poor residents of Chimbote and bring them dignity living in houses worthy of a human being.

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Papercrete Panels

THROUGH THIS NEW POST, I would like to share with you all about a new initiative related to development of affordable housing here in Chimbote-Perú. It is about PAPERCRETE PANELS PROJECT. It was born with the purpose of making possible that poor families in the area are able to acquire a decent housing to live. It is opportune to highlight the invaluable contribution and selfless support of Mr. Earl Milbrath (from Minnesota-USA) as a catalyst element for this project. Presently he is the president of the Economic Development Council (EDC) which is a committee operating under the direction of the non-profit organization Los Amigos del Padre Juan.

Mr. Earl Milbrath is doing his best, through several ways, for all programs of CHOI to keep running. At this point I must say that CHOI is sponsoring this Papercrete Project. Mr. Orlando Bermúdez, the present executive director of CHOI, is in charge of this project and Mr. Carlos Alayo is in charge of the technical part of the project. At the end of the last month, March, after spending some time putting together resources needed to the project, Mr. Carlos Alayo started its implementation.

But you may be wondering yourself, what is papercrete? Well, it comes from the union of two words: Paper + Concrete = Papercrete. Let me share a little more about it. Papercrete is a recently developed construction material, an amazing building material. It is made from recycled paper with a small amount of cement (concrete) and sand added. The ratio paper/concrete/sand is 3/1/1. Before making the mixture, paper should has been soaked in water for several days. Then it must be crumbled using an appropriate proportion of water. It would be better if it is used a mixer to do this process.

After paper is crumbled it is time to prepare mixture. The paper/concrete/sand combination is stirred in a large barrel, much like a blender, until all paper is shredded and evenly mixed with the concrete and sand. After mixture has an uniform texture it is poured in any type of mold, prepared in advance. It is allowed to dry for a while and already it is gotten papercrete products: bricks for walls, blocks, etc, to use them in constructions. Papercrete can be mortared, drilled, hammered, nailed, used as plaster and as an infill between poles or studs.

To make papercrete, it can be used nearly any kind of paper. Cardboard, glossy magazine stock, advertising brochures, junk mail, etc. Some types of paper work better than others, but all types work. Newsprint is best. Waterproofed paper and cardboard, such as butcher paper, beer cartons, etc. are harder to break down in water. Catalogs, magazines and other publications are fine.

Back to this Papercrete Project, the place chosen to run it was Saint Mauricio Brickwork, property of an American lady named Veronica Miuller and located in Ramal Playa village here in Chimbote. So, Mr. Carlos Alayo was there and made a planch of papercrete. People in charge of this project are gonna try to make bricks of papercrete as well. This time is to make prototypes and test papercrete products.

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Concrete Blocks - 1

IN AN EFFORT TO ASSIST, one way or another, the poor people of Chimbote, the non-profit organization Chimbote Oportunidades Ilimitadas CHOI (Chimbote Unlimited Oportunities), whose present administrator is Mr. Orlando Bermúdez, has sponsored the making of concrete blocks which can be used as floor in houses. They will be able to be purchased by those people disadvantaged at a very cheap price. Mr. Carlos Alayo, coordinator of CHOI's educational programs called Dollas For Scholars and Leaders For Tomorrow, is in charge of the performance of this work which is possible because of funds provided by CHOI, which coming from benefactors specially Americans.

At the moment, the work is at stage of making of small-scale concrete blocks. People who are in charge of this work are trying to make these blocks considering the lowest possible production cost for the price of each concrete block to be accessible for the poor residents of Chimbote. After the making, they are going to test the quality of the blocks to make sure that they are well done.

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CHOI Training Event - Day 2

CONTINUING WITH the two-day training event organized by CHOI, which was headed to customers of one of its programs called Micro lending and all people interested in it, and having been held the first day of training on Friday, February 26th, 2010 now I would like to share with you all about the second day of training that took place on Monday, March 01st, 2010 at 3:30 pm in Youth House here in Chimbote. The session was opened by the administrator of CHOI Mr. Orlando Bermúdez.

The main speaker was Mr. Jorge Villar Reyes, who is a business administrator and past manager (2004 - 2006) of the Asociación Civil Apoyo Familiar ACAF (Family Support Civil Association) an association that operates under direction of The non-profit organization called Los Amigos del Padre Juan (The Father Jack's Friends.) Mr. Jorge was sharing with attendees the topic: Marketing for Enterpreneurs. Here are some items that Mr. Jorge Villar shared:

• A look at market
• What do other businesses offer that small businesses don't?
• Against whom we compete?
• What is marketing?
• Practical functions of marketing
• Creative marketing
• If you use marketing, can you attract customers?
• Let's analyze your business: Who are your customers? do you know who your competition is? what is the value of your products or services?
• Marketing mix
• Do satisfied customers always return?
• Main elements to succeed in your business
• Ideas to generate more sales in your business, etc.

This way the two day training event was performed having on mind sowing seeds for creation of new small business and strengthening existing ones.

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