The CAEMBA project – Bamboo emergency houses – will be very active during March, the month of women. The neighborhood of Nueva Esperanza, known as ‘La Trece,’ in the Atacames canton of Esmeraldas, will be the place where 27 bamboo houses will be built for 26 single mothers and one single father.
The beneficiaries will receive their houses thanks to contributions made by individuals and companies. Four houses are provided by Juan Sevilla and Ana María Chediak, a couple who decided to celebrate their 30th wedding anniversary with this donation. 20 houses are donated by the American company Rulon International, dedicated to manufacturing acoustic ceilings in the United States of America. One house is donated by the graduating class of 1965 from the Colegio Americano de Quito. Another house is donated by the second-year students of Colegio Alemán de Quito. Finally, one house was donated by Pedro Quiñónez, making a total of 27 houses. Each housing unit costs USD 2900.
The construction will take place between March 11th and 19th, 2020. Approximately 40 people will collaborate, including external volunteers, employees of the Raíz Foundation, the beneficiaries of the houses, and neighbors from the neighborhood. To transport the construction material, which includes bamboo structures, logs, concrete bases, and other components, eight trucks and a 18-meter long trailer have been used.
Thanks to this construction effort, a total of 170 houses will be built in Atacames. This brings us closer to the goal of making Atacames the first canton free of precarious housing in Ecuador. Prior to this construction, CAEMBA has built 319 houses in Manabí and Esmeraldas, benefiting 2000 people; 315 temporary shelters, 27 classrooms, eight daycare centers, and five community centers.
