| Where we operate |
All of the Latin American capital cities are surrounded by shanty towns: the favelas in Brazil, the cantegriles in Uruguay, the villas miseria or villas de emergencia in Argentina…
Visiting one of these settlements is like diving into a maze of cultures. A great number of their inhabitants are immigrants from neighbouring countries such as Paraguay, Bolivia or Peru, who share customs with the Argentines, giving rise to an environment full of tradition, work, effort and, most importantly, colour and joy.
In Buenos Aires, those communities that face alienation and exclusion lie adjacent to the most affluent neighbourhoods. But, they remain unknown. They remain unseen. Because they are kept a secret. |
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| Villa Soldati: Venue for our programmes |
| The area where our work is being carried out belongs to Barrio Fátima- Villa 3, and it is divided into seven overpopulated blocks. These are separated by officially planned streets that are, in turn, subdivided into innumerable "corridors". The size varies from block to block, some of these being three times the average size. |
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| Barrio Fátima’s location |
| Villa 3, in Villa Soldati |
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| The People |
Most of the inhabitants these days come from neighbouring countries and the north of Argentina. Families are large and, more often than not, four generations of parents and children live together in the same house. They start dating at an early age, so at the age of 18, 80% of the women have one or more children.
The jobs they can find are, in general, those requiring very little qualification, and the salaries are low. Usually, the men work in construction sites, collect cardboard from the streets, or practise different crafts.
A great percentage of the children attend school, although they find it difficult to do their homework and to continue with their studies.
The customs of their places of origin are present at all times among the inhabitants of the villas: in the traditional food, in the dialects and languages, such as guaraní, in the way they dress and also in how they address each other. |
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| Organization |
Inside the neighbourhood there are small shops, churches, little workshops such as in any of the other neighbourhoods of the city. But unlike these, Soldati has a great number of refectories and canteens that feed a high percentage of the local population on a daily basis. There are also community centres whose aim it is to help children with their school assignments and adults with the development of new businesses.
La Chispa is a very good example of how these organisations work. It strives to promote cultural, social, health and educational activities amongst neighbours, mainly based on solidarity. These activities aim to improve the quality of life in areas that have been historically poverty-stricken and alienated. Throughout a period of over 10 years, La Chispa has operated in three main areas in Buenos Aires:
- Villa 1-11-14 (Bajo Flores)
- Villa 3 (Villa Soldati)
- Former Highway #3 project – Squat houses (Villa Crespo)
In each of these three villas, La Chispa has special places to carry out the activities planned for the people. |
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| The Market |
| The local market opens on Saturdays, offering inexpensive food, clothes, CD’s and traditional dishes from the inhabitants’ countries of origin, as well as a wide variety of services that range from a hairdresser’s to a pet shop. It is visited by everyone in the neighbourhood. |
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| Housing and land ownership |
The villa miseria is settled on state-owned land. Several organisations are campaigning for the actual inhabitants to acquire the land. Throughout the years, the government has developed a series of urbanisation projects. However, it has failed to achieve a sustained development towards the eradication of the villa and the replacement of it with decent housing. On many occasions, it has tried to transfer the inhabitants consequently uprooting and splitting up families, leading to worse living conditions.
A building project has recently begun, in which the neighbourhood people constitute the labour. This project presents the neighbours with a dichotomy: on the one hand, it offers a way of getting adequate housing. On the other hand, they are asked for a monthly fee as payment for the house, which would only be fair if they had access to a well-paid job that would allow them to take the responsibility of making payments, planning and saving money. Having a decent house under these circumstances is almost a utopia when one considers that there are still basic problems, such as malnutrition, to be solved. |
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ACCOMMODATION |
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| We recommend all our students to take advantage of the possibility of staying with local families, “porteños” (as those born in Buenos Aires are typically called). OPTIONS |
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AIRPORT PICK UP |
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We understand that you may feel a bit "lost" when first arriving at a new place. This is why our Overseas Students' Coordinator will pick you up at the airport.
We will give you a map and take the ride to your accommodation as an opportunity to show you part of the city and give you some useful tips to help you move around in Buenos Aires. U$D 100 |
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HOLIDAYS |
| Check out our NATIONAL HOLIDAYS |
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