Habitat for Humanity in Barra de Colotepec
Photo: Barbara Joan Schaffer
Habitat For Humanity, the international, non-profit organization supported by former President Jimmy Carter, has been active on the Oaxaca coast for the last 17 years under the direction of Crescenciano García García.
During that time, with help by volunteers from Edmonton Habitat and high school students from the Culver Education Foundation of Indiana, 1,720 affordable houses have been built for families of limited means.
Photo: Ernesto J. Torres, Casa 12
Groups of 10 families provide the sweat equity in the construction of 49-squaremeter, two-bedroom brick or cement houses with cement roofs, a bathroom, kitchen and living room. Each house takes around two months to build with all the families in each group working together. The money for the materials comes from CONAVI, the National Housing Commission. Each household pays off the 40,000-peso loan with monthly payments of 800 pesos, including 5% interest. The house cannot be sold, rented or lent until the loan is paid off. If it isn’t paid off within 5 years, the interest rate goes up.
Photo: Barbara Joan Schaffer
To participate in the program, each family must already own a 10 x 15-meter lot that has access to electricity and water and a septic tank. Then they are required to attend eight training sessions over a period of two or three months.
If you’d like to volunteer, contact Crescenciano at (954) 582 0288 or (954) 127 4200 oaxaca@habitatmexico.org. Habitat is located on 1a Poniente between 1a and 2a Sur, Puerto Escondido. www.habitatmexico.org.
