Editorial
The year 2007 starts and with this begin the new strategies of the organizations for social transformation.
Aiming to support initiatives that provide a decent Habitat for everybody, Habitat para a Humanidade Brasil presents the new version of its electronic newsletter: an important link of communication between our organization and our partners and collaborators, with the purpose of promote our actions in Brazil and around the world, besides show experiences from another organizations, social movements, governments, universities, centers of research and also people socially responsible and compromised with the defense of the cause of social interest housing.
In this edition, the experience of students together in a work site; the accomplishment of the International Seminar “Social Production of Habitat”; the initiative of the Financial Literacy Project; and a project of improvement of the community with the construction of watering holes.
We invite you all to know our projects and to contribute with them and also to follow the main events of the area of inhabitation.
Good reading.
Ademar de Oliveira Marques
Executive Director
Habitat para a Humanidade Brasil
Young students and teachers exercise solidarity in the midle of the hinterland northeastern
Students and teachers of the high school level from Graded School, a traditional American school located in the city of São Paulo, went to the city of Limoeiro do Norte, interior of the State of Ceará, in the end of the summer vacations. However, the reason of the trip was not only to do tourism: the 36 students, 4 teachers and 1 student’s father had sponsored the costs of the building of two houses. They also worked as volunteers in the work site of building of three houses. During the period they had been there, from 15th to 22nd of January, the volunteers, besides being able to give its solidarity, realize how it is an inestimable personal experience the human interaction they had had with the inhabitants of the community . Three families were benefited, what represented a victory in the life of the inhabitants of the community. If you or your school also wants to form a group of volunteers to support families in the conquest of a decent place to live, contact us at: volunteers@habitatbrasil.org.br
Helping families in need
Habitat para a Humanidade Brasil, in partnership with Citigroup, Caixa Econômica Federal, City Hall of the City of Passira, Centro de Desenvolvimento Agroecológico Sabiá, Metodist Church and Articulação do Semi-árido Brasileiro, has been developing since June of 2006 a project with the purpose of diminish the poverty situation and improve the conditions of housing, hygiene, health and economy to the inhabitants from the community of Varjada, State of Pernambuco. To make this possible, Habitat has been acting in three sectors: building watering holes, building houses and improving the Financial Literacy Project. Until now, the project already helped 50 families with decent homes and established 50 watering holes with total capacity for 14,000 liters of water each one, benefiting more than 200 people. If you intend to support this initiative, contact us at: partners@habitatbrasil.org.br
International Seminar discusses alternatives to decrease urban deficit
The International Seminar “Social Production of Habitat – Organizational Strategies for the Elimination of Substandard Housing in Latin America”, held from the 21st to 24th of November in São Paulo (Brazil), brought together over than 250 representatives of the public and private sectors, community organizations and non-governmental entities from all over Latin America. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss support alternatives for community initiatives that seek to assure the human right to a decent habitat. As a Habitat for Humanity Brazil initiative, the Seminar was held in association with UN-Habitat, Habitat International Coalition, Centro Cooperativo Sueco, Fórum Nacional pela Reforma Urbana and Habitat para la Humanidad – Latin America and Caribbean. At the end of the event, representatives from institutions and social movements reaffirmed their commitment with the cause for the right to a decent home by signing the “Declaration of São Paulo”. Click here for further information at the web page of the event.
Interact with us: send your views, comments, criticisms and suggestions by email to the address
noticias@habitatbrasil.org.br
and help us to create "A World where everyone has a decent place to live" (Global Vision - Habitat for Humanity). If you want to sign up for further information about Habitat around the world, click here.
Financial Literacy
Thanks to the program of Financial Literacy in Brazil, 351 families now have the ability to manage their own finances in a responsible way, for example: planning incomes and expenses, family budgets, saving investments, insolvency reduction and debts control. This was possible throughout a trained team from Habitat Brazil who promoted quality workshops with an Adult Education methodology and constant participation among the selected families. During the first stage of the project, between July and December 2006, the following communities were benefited: Juazeiro do Norte (Ceara State), Goiania (Goias State), Chico Mendes and Varjada (Pernambuco State), Franca (São Paulo State) and Guaraí (Tocantins State). It is estimated that in the next two semesters this program will be extended to 300 families in 7 different communities through the implementation of 50 more workshops. 30 partners from Habitat Brazil and 20 volunteers would be involved during this process. One of the expectations for this Program in Brazil is to emphasize the capacity of Habitat Brazil employees, highlighting our credit policies and deepening in the concepts displayed in the Financial Literacy Manuals. The Project was financed by Citigroup International, supporting the implementation of this initiative in 7 countries of Latin America: Brazil, Chile, Equator, Colombia, Guatemala, Dominican Republic and El Salvador.
For further information about this program, please contact us at: ivanir@habitatbrasil.org.br
HOUSING ISSUES
Links to the main news from jan. 07
Growth Acceleration Program and Habitation System congregate governments from 23 Brazilian States
Project in the city of Uberlandia, Minas Gerais State, uses ecological bricks
Law will allow regularization of slums in the State of São Paulo
Social Forum discuss in Africa the world-wide campaign for the agrarian reform
300 families will have their own homes at West Industrial Park
National Office - email: habitat@habitatbrasil.org.br
Rua Monte Castelo, 142 - Boa Vista, Recife – PE - CEP 50050-310 - Phone: 55 (81) 3221.3137
Development of Resources Office - email: partners@habitatbrasil.org.br
Rua Eça de Queiroz, 346 - Vila Mariana, São Paulo - SP - CEP 04011-031 - Phone: 55 (11) 5084-6698
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