Thanks to everyone who joined this build! We had a very successful trip and nearly completed a house for Gloria and Freddie in just 5 days of work. They should move in within two weeks (once the roof, doors and windows are installed and the floor has had time to cure). Their excitement was obvious and their smiles wonderful! Here’s a collection of photos from this trip.
You can also check out more detailed stories of this build in the following blog posts:
Bienvenido a Casa! and Update: Gloria’s Family is Home!
For more information about Habitat for Humanity’s work in Nicaragua through the Global Village program, please visit the Habitat for Humanity Nicaragua homepage. Additional information about the housing need in Nicaragua is also included below. Thanks in advance for your support!
Housing need in Nicaragua
Eighty percent of the Nicaraguan population subsists on less than US$2 per day, and 43 percent on less than US$1 a day. In a country of more than five million habitants, there are many situations that affect the housing situation. Inadequate housing (both qualitative and quantitative), insufficient public investment in the housing sector, natural disasters, social and economic instability, migration from rural to urban areas and the formation of new nuclear families are all factors that take a toll on the availability of adequate housing in Nicaragua. It is estimated that each year the housing deficit in the country rises by some 30,000 homes.
Due to the low priority of housing on both political and non-profit agendas, investment in the housing sector has not been sufficient to tackle the problem.
Habitat for Humanity in Nicaragua
Habitat for Humanity began working in Nicaragua in 1984. Habitat for Humanity Nicaragua supports the social production of habitat in such a way that strengthens community leadership and resources, and supports families in achieving solutions to their housing needs. The organization works through four main initiatives to serve low-income families, with special emphasis given to women-headed households, families with three or more dependents, families with members who have special needs and families with a monthly income of less than US$350.