The new fence!

The new fence!

Project Status: COMPLETE!

We are thrilled to announce that the Arco Iris project has been implemented with the wonderful support of hundreds of donations, large and small. The center of Arco Iris continues to provide meals to the children of the neighborhood as well as activities for adults. They are very excited to have a safe and secure place to learn and a great playground for the children!

THANK YOU!!

the first stages of construction...

31 July 2008

Why this Project?

The Arco Iris Community Center struggles to live up to its potential.


For the past twenty years, this center has served families in a poverty-stricken neighborhood of Villa Elisa, Argentina. Each day Arco Iris provides over 90 children with two meals along with educational and social activities outside of school. The center also supports microenterprise development, such as baking and sewing cooperatives, run by community members. A source of hope, inspiration, and opportunities, Arco Iris makes the best of limited resources while facing constant challenges.

Arco Iris´ lack of security is the principal challenge that hinders its growth and expansion. At night, youth drink and participate in high-risk activities in the unprotected, trash-filled, and weed-infested yard surrounding the community center; during the day, overgrown grass hides broken beer bottles and drug paraphernalia. Dogs roam the area where the children play, bringing in garbage and disease. Without an enclosure-a protective secure fence-vandalism and wandering neighborhood animals prevent the community center from creating a garden that could supply the children with fresh produce. Underutilized, contaminated, and dangerous, Arco Iris’ yard exists as a constant reminder that the center currently lacks the infrastructure and resources to serve the community to the best of its ability.

A well constructed fence would provide Arco Iris with the security to create a soccer field, playground, garden, and other community-based development projects. It would also ensure the ongoing success of its sewing and baking cooperatives. A fence, while exceedingly simple, is an important step for a rural community to build a more sustainable future.

A Day in the Life at Arco Iris

More on Community Needs

One of the most developed countries in the world at the opening of the twentieth century, Argentina encountered major hurdles in its efforts to keep pace with the international economy [1]. The financial crisis of 2001-2002 greatly exacerbated political and economic obstacles, and official unemployment levels soared to nearly 20 percent [2]. Though unemployment has fallen in the country of 39.9 million, 31.4 percent of the population still lives below the poverty line [3]. Located within greater La Plata, the provincial capital of Buenos Aires, Villa Elisa and its population of 20,000 exemplify the dichotomies of Argentine society and the challenges that the country faces [4]. Wealthy, gated communities exist alongside great poverty [5]. Walking from the main road into Villa Elisa, one passes blocks of beautiful homes before crossing a grassy field and entering a neighborhood with trash-lined streets, makeshift homes, roaming dogs picking at the garbage, and shoeless children wandering around without supervision.

A government assistance program, Plan Familias, reduces the severity of poverty by financially supporting families with children [6]. Yet payouts of $4.17 to $6.67 per day ($1.34 to $2.15 USD) barely guarantee survival. Available jobs usually involve cleaning homes, for $4 to $9 pesos per hour ($1.28 to $2.90 USD) [7]. Though the government has stated its desire to reintegrate the poor into the working class, the families of Villa Elisa constantly confront challenges in their efforts to become politically and economically active citizens. Chronic underemployment and prevalent unemployment make it difficult for families to envision a better future, as they do not have the opportunities to gain skills needed to pull themselves out of poverty. Moreover, this focus on day-to-day survival precludes the formation of a cohesive and vibrant community.

[1] UN Human Development Report 2006 ranks Argentina 36 of 177. hdr.undp.org/hdr2006/statistics/ (5 March 2007). [2] Commanding Heights: Argentina Unemployment. www.pbs.org/wgbh/commandingheights/lo/countries/ar (5 March 2007) [3] The CIA World Factbook. https://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/index.html (5 March 2007). [4] This figure was obtained through discussions with community members, as official information is difficult to find. [5] Argentina performs better than its Latin American counterparts on some indicators, but its high Gini Index of 52.8 demonstrates that it too must focus on equitable economic growth. UN Human Development Report 2006. [6] In 2002, the Argentine government introduced Jefe del hogar as an emergency measure to combat the effects of the economic crisis. This was replaced by Plan Familias in 2006, with financing from the Inter-American Development Bank and a $350 (USD) World Bank Loan. See Project AR-L1006 Support for Plan Familias, www.iadb.org; www.worldbank.org (5 March 2007). [7] Figures for the payouts from Plan Familias and the average local wages were obtained through interviews with sewing cooperative members, mothers who help cook, and staff of Arco Iris. (February 2007).

Sustainability and Expected Outcomes

The successful implementation of this project will allow Arco Iris to better serve the community as a whole. Designed with the staff of Arco Iris and local individuals, this project will improve community cohesion by encouraging members to participate more in Arco Iris activities. The creation of an enclosure for Arco Iris will give the children a safe place to play and learn, provide security for the nascent sewing and bakery cooperatives, supply produce for the kitchen, and create a much-needed space for outdoor development activities. Specifically:

Partnership & Participation: This proposal is a collaborative project that incorporates the results of extensive conversations with Arco Iris staff, Architect Pedro Tirado, and the FSD Site Team. The community event held prior to construction will not only provide support for “Constructing to Create Opportunities,” but will also raise awareness about the daily work that Arco Iris has done for the past twenty years. The Villa Elisa neighborhood served by Arco Iris suffers from high unemployment and low social cohesion; this project will provide employment and provide a forum for community dialogue. Furthermore, after the project has been completed, the garden will become a space that will be shared by the community as a whole.


Youth Empowerment & Education: Many children of Villa Elisa are forced to work or travel to La Plata with their parents to beg for money on a daily basis; in their homes, they cook, clean, and care for younger relatives. But at Arco Iris, they can be children and participate in the social and educational activities offered by the community center in addition to receiving two daily meals. This project will allow the center to live up to its potential, as it will allow Arco Iris to provide outdoor activities and teach gardening skills. A playground will also benefit these children in more specific ways, as the process of play increases a child's self-esteem, improves dexterity and physical fitness, and opens a young mind to new possibilities by developing social, verbal, and problem-solving skills.


Community Development: This project will utilize the skills and labor of community members who live in the marginalized sector of Villa Elisa. It will bring together parents, children, and the Arco Iris staff and improve community cohesion. The individuals involved with the project will be less likely to vandalize the community center after having worked so hard to improve its facilities and they will help to prevent vandalism by others. Moreover, this project will bring attention to the community center and increase the number of families participating in Arco Iris’s capacity building and micro-enterprise outreach programs.

06 November 2007

Details of Project Phases

The project will unfold in four phases:

1. Creating Foundations

Community Events: Arco Iris Staff, FSD Interns, and the FSD Site Team will work cooperatively to plan a community event either before, after, or during the construction of the fence. Posters and word-of-mouth will inform community members about the event, which will consist of live music and/or bingo, and be held at Arco Iris. The event will provide a forum for the community to discuss possible development ideas for Arco Iris and generate pride and cohesion within the community. It will also serve as an opportunity for the project’s Architect Pedro Tirado and contracted businesses to explain employment opportunities available for local community members.

Pre-Construction Preparation: Arco Iris Staff, FSD Interns, the FSD Site Team, and Community Volunteers will prepare the yard for construction the week prior to groundbreaking. This will involve activities including the removal of garbage, cutting grass, replanting trees, and removing the cement posts and wire that remains from a fence put in place years ago. The FSD Program Coordinator will work with the Architect to ensure that all materials for phase two are purchased and ready for installation.

2. Constructing a Safe Place

The Creation of an Entryway: According to the design already created by the Architect Pedro Tirado, a pedestrian gate and a vehicle entryway will be constructed at the front of the property.

The Building of a Fence: Using local suppliers and labor from community members, including the youth group Jovenes de Pie, an enclosure will be constructed around the rectangular yard that measures 43.3 meters by 48.3 meters. A 20 cm cement wall and cement posts every two meters will support painted iron bars, designed to be aesthetically pleasing while offering the needed security.

Weekly Meetings & Updates: Each week of the project, the FSD Site Team and the architect will hold an informal meeting open to the public where they will present the past week’s accomplishments and explain the goals for the upcoming week. The FSD Site Team will then translate and communicate this information along with photos to donors to ensure transparency and accountability.

3. Building a Playground:

Play Set Installation: Through consultation with the Arco Iris staff and local community members, a safe, easily-maintained, and stimulating play set will be selected, consisting of swings, a slide, monkey bars, and other interactive structures.

4. Going Green:

Green Preparation: The FSD Site Team, with the assistance of the local environmental NGO Biosfera and through consultation with community members, will purchase the supplies needed to plant a garden, flowers, and trees in the yard.

Gardening Classes: Children and community members will work together to plant the garden that will supply produce to Arco Iris’ kitchen.

Planting Projects: With the support of the local environmental NGO Biosfera, workshops on gardening will be held to educate the Arco Iris staff and community members about sustainable gardening practices. Ground cover will be planted to absorb odor from the building’s sewage system and reduce the amount of contaminated water that floods the front part of the property after heavy rainfall. Trees and flowers will be planted by the children to beautify the yard.

Project Goals - Details....

GOAL: To cooperatively construct an enclosure for the community center Arco Iris while improving community cohesion, providing security for the sewing and bakery workshops, constructing a safe and stimulating play area for the children, and creating a secure space for a garden that will supply fresh produce to the Arco Iris kitchen.


The Short-term Objectives are:

Community Awareness: Encourage the inclusion of various sectors of the population, promoting dialogue and communication within the community, by holding the community event and the subsequent weekly meetings

Evaluate: Compare the results of informal before-and-after interviews with the assistance of the director of Arco Iris, Maria Susini. These interviews will focus on the opinions that community members hold regarding the community center, and their knowledge of the types of activities they may participate in. The “before” interviews will also gather detailed information on their hopes for this project, while the “after” interviews will evaluate their perceptions of the implementation of this project. Are more community members aware of Arco Iris activities? How many have increased their trust in the community as a whole?

Infrastructure Development: Build an aesthetically-pleasing and secure iron bar fence with a cement base that encloses the community center’s yard, a rectangular space that measures 43.3 meters by 48.3 meters

Evaluate: Compare before-and-after photos; during interviews, ask community members about their opinions on the final result. In both the short- and long-term, have robberies and/or vandalism occurred?

Playground Installation: Create a safe and stimulating play space for the children of the community center

Evaluate: Compare before-and-after photos; ask interviewees their opinions on the final project; interview the Arco Iris staff after project is completed.

Education: Conduct at least two gardening classes open to the community in conjunction with Biosfera

Evaluate: How many children and community members participate in the courses and activities offered? (At least 20 adults will be considered a success).

The Long-term Objectives are:

Community Cohesion: Strengthen ties between Arco Iris and community members

Evaluate: Conduct follow-up interviews with Arco Iris staff and locals six months after project implementation.

Maintenance: Maintain the play set and the fence, cleaning and making repairs as is necessary

Evaluate: Conduct interviews and follow-up visits to site, at three-month intervals for at least one year; subsequently conduct annual visits and evaluations.

Outdoor Activities: Hold more daily activities outdoors in the safer play and learning environment

Evaluate: Through interviews, obtain information about changes in daily activities. Have the number of injuries and fights decreased? Is at least one new outdoor activity (i.e. gardening class) incorporated into the weekly routines?

Supply Food: Provide a reliable source of fresh produce to the Arco Iris kitchen

Evaluate: Is the garden capable of providing vegetables for the meals prepared for the children? Has the monthly amount spent on fresh produce decreased (assuming no change in local prices)? Interviews will be used to evaluate.