Closing of trainings with Fundación Holcim Argentina

Within the framework of the strategic alliance and mutual collaboration, Habitát para la Humanidad Argentina developed together with Fundación Holcim Argentina the initiative *what a Community Bathroom.

This was the second part in which a social , environmental, and basic human right problem were addressed: access to hygienic bathrooms and safe spaces.

The initiative was aimed at improving the health situation of local community centers and, consequently, promoting the health and safety of +2,000 people who use these spaces and participate in their initiatives. In Argentina, more than 6 million people do not have a proper bathroom in their homes. For many of the families that go to community centers, these new facilities will be the safest bathroom they can access.

This important initiative came to a close on May 16 with 18 community centers participating in training workshops in Malagueño, La Calera, Córdoba and surrounding areas. The participation and involvement of representatives from these community centers in- the improvement of these spaces which are so important for their respective neighborhoods, allows us to measure the need, but also the importance of combining knowledge and resources in the search for solutions.

Although the training has come to an end, the community centers are accompanied by the organizations throughout the installation process of the sets, to guarantee their proper functioning and bring the initiative to a close.

At the end of the meeting, Lorena, from the Organizations Meeting, expressed: “We are in the different popular neighborhoods that are in Córdoba, and this project does not benefit a single space, but we can also train colleagues who are in the maintenance and construction crews to advance”.

For his part, Juan from the Iglesia Evangelista Bautista de Sierra de Oro affirmed that “what they gave us has been so beneficial, it helped us make a dream come true, to continue working towards a society where we always want – to help others. What we have experienced is wonderful, the work is very, very helpful, we have learned some things that we did not know and we have incorporated knowledge into what we had”.

At the end of the workshops, we delivered 18 complete sets to renovate the bathrooms in each of the 18 community centers, including sanitary fixtures, pipes, and materials to reduce electrical risk. This closing was carried out with a face-to-face meeting at the headquarters of the Holcim Plant in Malagueño, with the aim of bringing the community closer, touring the Quarry and having a space of knowledge and opportunity for mutual exchange.