HOME OF HOPE PROJECT BY MICHELLE FERNANDEZ

Compassion With Action has been dreaming and slowly working on this project for some time now, and at the moment, it is more tangible and in progress. About a month ago, we read an article in a local newspaper about large amounts of land in the Andes mountains (Uspallata) that the government wanted to sell, in order to develop the area and increase the local economy. They asked for anyone interested to send in a project, to, in a way, compete for the lands.

We wrote up a quick “pre-project” and went to find out more details. The government is looking to develop the area, with businesses, tourism, or any other projects that would offer jobs to the locals and economic growth for the area. The prices for the land are very low (that is what we were told, although we have not seen actual prices yet), and it is an amazing opportunity to present our project for the rehab center “Home of Hope”. We are now in the process of presenting very detailed paperwork to the government. They ask for analysis of various statistics, kind of like a market study, budgets, and even a basic design and blue prints of the center. We also have to prove economic stability, showing that we are able to immediately start construction if we do end up having access to the purchase of the land. It is a little different in our situation since this is not a business, but they seemed to like our proposition. The following is a brief summary of the project (please note that this is translated from Spanish to English, and is a formal project that has been presented to the Argentine Government. (Also note that because it is being presented to the govt., certain "religious language" is not used, rather only speaking of biblical morals. As you know, discipleship and their spiritual growth and transformation will be the main priority):

“Compassion with Action is a foundation that has been working with the people living in the slum areas of 12 de Mayo, 8 de Abril and 9 de Julio since 2004. It has been 9 years of sharing and exchanging ideas, culture and customs, and creating deep and meaningful relationships with the people. We have worked with local foundations, churches and even with the local government offices. The people that work on field with Compassion with Action feel that almost a decade of work and experience has given them vast knowledge of the everyday problems that the families of this area deal with. We consider that teaching work ethics and providing real tools as a necessary pillar for helping these people. We also stand behind teaching morality and ethics from a biblical point of view, as we understand that it provides key instruments for the integrity of a person.

We define an integrate (whole, complete) person as someone who is able to positively contribute to society, forming part of a community and possessing of complete mental, physical, emotional and spiritual faculties. We do not wish to impose, but to exchange “life” and stand by the processes of each and every person.”

“We formally present the necessity of a place that provides a healthy environment for people that are in extreme vulnerable situations (addictions to alcohol and drugs, prostitution, or even unemployment and incomplete schooling) where they can rehabilitate and find tools to reinsert into society.

‘Home of Hope’ is a long-term project that has as a general goal, to provide a space to learn, produce and live in community, acquiring new ways of sustainment, and immediately putting in practice the skills and work ethics. We look to use different methods and programs to not only teach and provide tools that will later serve as work skills, but also offer, promote and create spaces of recovery, working with capacitated professionals to accompany the person in their recovery. We also point to a place that is self-sustainable, using the skills being taught to economically sustain the center.

One of the specific objectives is to raise up the value of work and the importance of education to be able to positively contribute to society. We want to combine the need for rehabilitation and recovery with capacitation, so we not only offer help, but also give specific and practical tools so that after the stay at ‘Home of Hope’ the person of family can leave with real knowledge and skills learned to reinsert into society, not going back to the same toxic environment.

Some of the skills and tools that we wish to teach are:

·         Cooking and kitchen skills

·         Fabrics, sewing, etc.,

·         Agricultural skills and farming (different fruits and vegetables, animals, etc.)

·         Waiter training

·         General Education

·         Cultural cooking and tourism

‘Home of Hope’ aspires to contribute to the regional economy, by supplying the development of different products and providing spaces of culture and tourism, where the same people staying at ‘Home of Hope’ can put into real practice the skills that they have learned.”