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.