Jatnna Tavárez, Miralba Ruíz, Barbara Plaza and Paloma Rodríguez have joined Women Build, a space that provides the opportunity for women to take a proactive step to serve their communities and build strength, stability and self-sufficiency together.
SANTO DOMINGO.- Habitat for Humanity Dominican Republic, together with several media professionals, held the first edition of Women Build RD, an initiative through which volunteers build the floor of a house for a single mother.
Jatnna Tavárez, Miralba Ruíz, Barbara Plaza and Paloma Rodríguez have joined Women Build, a space that provides an opportunity for women to take a proactive step to serve their communities and build strength, stability and self-sufficiency together.
Through the program, the communicators built the floor of Marcia's home. Marcia is a hardworking and courageous single mother who, thanks to her work as a domestic worker and her entrepreneurial efforts selling empanadas, has managed to get ahead. She has been gradually building her house with a loan from one of Habitat Dominicana's partner financial institutions, according to a press release from the organization.
"The women and mother influencers built this to support Marcia and celebrate Mother's Day with her, because they know how important it is for a mother to have a decent home, where her family can take care of their health, study, feel comfortable and have a space to share joyful moments, creating memorable memories," the document states.
Thanks to the support of the "Hope Step by Step" project by Habitat Dominicana, this mother, an example to other women, has taken out six loans, allowing her to gradually improve her home. Previously, the house was made of wood, making it vulnerable to natural disasters; now it is made of cinder blocks and is much safer.
"At Habitat Dominicana, together with the communicators, we wanted to collaborate with Marcia and surprise her with the construction of her polished concrete floor, making a positive impact and helping her to have a better quality of life, health and hygiene for this special occasion," explains Habitat Dominicana.
The journalists interacted with the owner, learned her story, and felt a connection to all the effort she has made to help her family get ahead and progress. They also worked together, with the assistance of the brigade's construction team, and hand in hand they were able to build the floor, an experience for which they felt very grateful.
“We have experienced a beautiful moment, one that has had a profound impact on Marcia’s life and on us as an organization. We are happy to collaborate with Marcia, to celebrate her efforts as a courageous mother, and we are more than grateful to you all. You were present from the moment we contacted you and joined us for this cause. We invite you to continue joining us; we cannot achieve this without the involvement of women, volunteers, companies, and individuals,” said Cesarina Fabian, national director of Habitat Dominicana.
“I am happy, thank you very much Habitat Dominicana for the support, my children will be more comfortable and my grandchildren will be able to play on the floor when they visit my house, thank you women for joining and coming to build in my house,” commented Marcia.
In addition to these volunteer communicators, Carmen Esteva de Marranzini joined the cause, as leader of the Women Entrepreneurs initiative in the country.
The first edition of Women Build, or women's construction brigade, was held on May 27th at Marcia's home in the El Carril sector of Haina, San Cristóbal province. Habitat Dominicana aims to hold an annual event exclusively for women.
About Women Build
Since 1991, Habitat for Humanity's Women Build volunteers have come together to build stronger and safer communities globally. More than 5,700 women have participated worldwide in the United States, India, Mexico, Paraguay, and Canada, and the Dominican Republic will be joining soon.
Any woman, business, or institution interested in learning how to build or improve a home is invited to join us for the second edition. You can also support the program with a donation and contact us at www.habitatdominicana.org and via social media @habitatdominicana. No prior experience is necessary. Volunteers work under the guidance of construction professionals and alongside other volunteers and future homeowners with Habitat for Humanity. It's a rewarding experience for everyone involved and contributes directly to the community. Women helping women send a positive and powerful message.
About Habitat for Humanity Dominican Republic
Habitat for Humanity is a global, non-profit, non-governmental organization that works to ensure everyone has a decent place to live through programs focused on microfinance for housing, minimizing risk, and increasing disaster response. Since its inception in 1986, the organization has provided more than 37,000 housing solutions and impacted approximately 188,000 people.
Habitat Dominicana contributes to the country by improving the living conditions of families affected by the qualitative and quantitative housing deficit. This is achieved through the development of programs that facilitate access to microfinance for low-income families, along with technical assistance in construction, and by creating financial literacy programs that support and contribute to reducing the deficit.
