Habitat for Humanity is an ecumenical Christian non-profit organization. It is located in over 54 countries around the world and in the past 20 years has built over 60,000 homes for more than 300,000 people. The Paraguay chapter was established as a non-profit in early 1998 and is looking to begin the building of the first houses in January of 1999.

The plan for the partnership between Habitat for Humanity - Paraguay and the Project for the People of Paraguay was presented to the people of the Chacarita and Puerto Pabla in early May of 1998. 

The plan calls for Habitat to use it's normal selection process to decide which families will be accepted to receive a house in the new community.  Those families with sponsored children, who are not selected to participate with Habitat, will receive a house through the Project.  It will not matter to the families which organization provides the house since the services provided will be exactly the same.  This will include the same style house and building materials, work requirements and monitory arrangements.  The end result however, is that the family of every sponsored child will have a house.

How does Habitat for Humanity - Paraguay work?

Houses are built through volunteer labor, the help of the homeowner (partner) families, tax-deductible donations of money and materials and locally purchased or crafted materials. Groups of between 3 and 5 families build the houses.  The materials, plans, any technical advice and payment plan are provided by Habitat. Once they have finished building the houses for all the families in the group, the families begin making the monthly payment of $25 for a period of 25 years. These payments enter into the Fund for Humanity, which uses them to build more houses. Habitat houses are affordable for low-income families because there is no profit included in the sale price and no interest charged on the mortgage.

What is a Habitat house like?

A Paraguayan Habitat house will have either two or three bedrooms, a combination living room / dining room / kitchen, real floors, an indoor bathroom, and a sink in the back yard for laundry.  Also included will be a small porch which is very necessary to the Paraguayan way of life.  Click here to see the house plan.

What is "sweat equity?"

Homeowners invest hundreds of hours of their own labor - "sweat equity" - into building their Habitat house and the houses of others. Sweat equity reduces the monetary cost of the house, increases the personal stake of the family members in their house, and fosters the development of partnerships with other people in the community. The amount and type of sweat equity required of each partner family varies from 300 to 500 hours per family.

How are the partner families selected?

Families in need apply for a house. Habitat for Humanity - Paraguay's family selection committee will then consider the applicants' level of need, their willingness to become partners in the Habitat program and their ability to repay the no-interest loan. Every affiliate follows a nondiscriminatory policy of family selection. Neither race nor religion is a factor in choosing Habitat homeowner families. Any family with sponsored children not selected, will be served in the same manner via the Project for the People of Paraguay.

How are Habitat projects funded in developing countries?

Due to the extreme poverty found in many developing nations, Habitat affiliates in developing countries often receive funds for house building from Habitat for Humanity International. All Habitat affiliates are asked to "tithe" -- to give 10% of their unrestricted cash contributions to fund house building work in developing nations. However, international affiliates raise as much of their funding as possible locally.

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Copyright © 1998 Project for the People of Paraguay
Last modified: December 01, 2001