www.rotarysma.org                                                                                                    San Miguel de Allende, Gto., México

(Click on the underlined headings below to go to that section)

1. Summary of the Project
2. Application Form from Casita Linda
3. Financial data
4. Pictures
    

Summary of Casita Linda

Casita Linda is a nonprofit civil association whose mission is to provide a healthier and more dignified life for socio-economically disadvantaged families living in rural Mexico. They build safe, sanitary and inexpensive housing for home ownership utilizing an innovative construction system and volunteer labor. The completed houses are given to families living in extreme poverty in exchange for sweat equity.   The cost of a completed home approximates $1500 USD.

In 2001, a group of concerned North Americans and Mexicans living in San Miguel de Allende were discussing the numbers of people living below the poverty level without decent or sanitary housing and ineligible for governmental aid.  From Mexican sources, they learned that there were over 16 million persons in this category in Mexico; many in the area of San Miguel.  The group pooled ideas about needs and put their skills toward solving the problem – focusing on innovative types of construction and community awareness and cooperation. 

This was the beginning of a problem-solving effort that resulted in a legalized non-governmental organization called Casita Linda. The approach used was three-fold:
 1. To supply the materials and knowledge necessary for the construction of simple but dignified and sanitary homes, using sweat equity from the family and community members.
 2. Dovetail the construction with integrated programs of community and family development, and
 3. Make a model that is replicable and can be instituted anywhere in the world.
 
 By 2004 the legalization process was completed and some important alliances with governmental and non-governmental organizations effected. Also, due to the opportunity in a neighboring state for a case study using Casita Linda methods, an important community development member was added to the team.
 
Community leaders choose the families most in need of a house. Since Mexican families cook out-of-doors, their primary need is for a house with a dry toilet, electricity, and a solar-powered hot water shower. Casita Linda's methods are so simplified that children as young as ten can help construct the forms for the concrete.
 
Due to a local fund raiser by Casita Linda in the fall of 2004, construction funds were raised to build three houses in the nearby community of Huertas. This success brought together more non-community volunteers to work with community and family members. Five more destitute families have been identified in the community of Los Galvanes, another community near San Miguel. The funds raised thus far have been sufficient to buy materials for three single-family houses in Los Galvanes.  Construction began early in June 2006 as funds became available.   In 2006, the Midday Rotary Club supplied funds to build over 4 homes, as well as other construction materials

In 2007, Casita Linda had a very successful fund raising project, so that the need for funds from Rotary is lessened.
 
Cost for materials in current prices:
 1. A one-room concrete-combination home with electricity, shower, dry toilet, and solar hot water system costs $1500 USD for materials.
 2. A two-room home for a larger family costs $2000.

Project Application from Casita Linda

 1.                  Name of the project and organization:

Casita Linda A.C. 

2.                  Contact person submitting the application:

Jeffrey G. Brown jjgb072000@yahoo.com   415-120-4161 

3.                  Alternate contact person:

Naomi Zerriffi : nzerriffi@yahoo.com  415 152 1829 

4.                  2nd Alternate contact person:

Irma Rosado Soto:  irma@casitalinda.org   415 154 9340 

5.                  Location of the project:

Various Rural communities near San Miguel de Allende 

6.                  Mailing address:

Blvd. de la Conspiracion #11, San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato, Mexico 37700 

7.          Please provide a brief description of the org., its history and its goals

Casita Linda A.C. is a nonprofit civil association whose mission is to provide a healthier and more dignified life for socio-economically disadvantaged families living in rural Mexico. We build safe, sanitary and inexpensive housing for home ownership utilizing an innovative construction system and volunteer labor. The completed houses are given to families living in extreme poverty in exchange for sweat equity. Since home construction began in 2004, we have completed 3 houses in the community of La Huerta and we are currently building in Los Galvanes, where we will build between 4 and 5 homes. Our immediate goal is increase fundraising and volunteer recruitment, hone our administrative processes, building methods and family training programs and develop partnerships with other NGOs and government social and health services providers in the region. We would like to build a minimum of 12 houses per year over the next 3 years in the state of Guanajuato. Our long term goal is to enable the transfer our construction method to other communities in Mexico and other countries with similar conditions.  

8.                  Please explain briefly how the project came about

It came about as a result of discussions amongst friends about the need to help people living in shacks. We organized in 2001, wrote our mission statement and did research into building techniques.  

9.                  Please enumerate the need for the project:

According to the 2000 census, there are 40 million poor people and 17 million living in extreme poverty in Mexico.   

10.             Please outline the characteristics of the population to be served by the project:

Those living in extreme poverty often live in unsanitary dilapidated shelters without plumbing, electricity or permanent roofs. Large families crowd into one room often sleeping on a dirt floor. 

11.             What other benefits to the community may be served by the project?

Our intention is to also provide training to the families receiving housing on the reuse of grey water, proper disposal of trash and management of dry toilets and connect them with social and health services in their communities.  We would like to provide advice on entrepreneurial endeavors as well.  In this way, many in the community could benefit as well as the homeowners. 

12.             Please outline as precisely as possible the costs involved in the project and provide a reasonable explanation of how the costs were arrived at:

A basic 12’ x 14’ house with electricity and plumbing costs US $1350; a 12’ x 20’ house is US$2000.  The costs were determined by experience.  

13.             Please describe the key personnel involved in the project:

Jeffrey Brown: President.  Fine arts painter, stone and brick mason, construction contractor and Product designer

Fausto Gomez, Community Program Coordinator: Engineer. Has coordinated government housing programs in rural villages in the State of Queretaro. Fausto is an expert on community capacity bulding and has been instrumental in the implementation of various projects for the Social Development Ministry.

Irma Rosado Soto: Project Leader. Degree in Business Administration. Has contributed to capacity building of several non profits in Mexico dealing with issues such as street children, human rights HIV/AIDS and social development. Irma won a fellowship from the Ashoka Foundation in 1991 for her work on the fight against HIV/AIDS.  She participated with WHO and the Royal Tropical Institute of Netherlands to contribute to the improvement of care services for people with AIDS.

Anthony Dwyer:  Anthony Dwyer did graduate work at Michigan State

University in Latin American history and anthropology.  He works as a consultant in internet marketing for a US-based company and is proficient in web programming and marketing.  He has construction and community building experience and has lived in Mexico since 1994. Anthony is responsible for the Casita Linda website and graphics 

14.             Please describe the support you are requesting from the San Miguel Rotary Club. Please include the time frame for the funding, and whether the funds are required for one time or ongoing. 

We are requesting the funds to build one house a month (1200US), ongoing. 

15.             How long has the organization been in operation?

Organized in 2001, building since 2004. 

16.             Does the organization have a Mexican Federal Tax number and are annual financial statement prepared? (if so, please provide the last two years statements)  Yes and Yes  

17.             Additional information that you would like to relate

We have a unique methodology for building our houses.   We are using a poured-in-place system which incorporates plywood or plastic panels which are held together with snap ties. We fill these with a mix of inorganic dirt, 1 part cement to 6 parts dirt, with an additional additive called Maxeh.  The result is a material that reaches the compression strength of concrete but which is much more thermal, environmentally friendly and cost effective. We've also developed a snap together metal form for doing the foundations which saves a lot of time and money. In addition, we've built a system of roof trusses, which lock onto the wall forms allowing us to pour the whole house including the roof in 1 day. 

Our website address is:  www.casitalinda.org

Financial Statement

Pictures

 Click on pictures to enlarge.  Shown are Rotary Interact students from Trail, B.C., Canada, working on construction of a Casita Linda home.