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.