Trisha K

La Gallina is a small community within the Nicaraguan city of San Rafael del Sur. It is a community focused on agriculture, especially sugarcane. Unfortunately, La Gallina’s residents also know the pain of poverty.

More than 95 percent of the homes in La Gallina have dirt floors, with many walls constructed of rapidly deteriorating materials such as plastic, metal sheets and warping wood. Homes in La Gallina have no plumbing or drinking water, either. People draw water from wells along the roads, and most of the community’s latrines are falling apart.

Families here work hard to improve their living situation, but with a per capita income of around $1 a day, it’s a challenge many families can’t overcome on their own.

Habitat’s solution

Habitat Nicaragua is stepping in to offer these families a hand up, replacing their old shelters with new homes. The goal is to immediately help 50 families here, with the hope of building with 100 more as soon as funding allows.

Habitat will work with partners in the region to create safe, durable houses made of reinforced masonry and adobe-block walls. Volunteers, partner families and neighbors in the community will be directly involved in the construction process—from making the blocks to building the walls, roofs, windows and doors.

Global Village is Habitat for Humanity’s international volunteer program. Teams travel to over 40 countries to work alongside communities, build housing solutions, and experience local culture. Our goal is to change the lives of the people we serve, as well as the lives of the volunteers.

To join a team or learn more, visit www.habitat.org/gv.

About Habitat for Humanity International 

Driven by the vision that everyone needs a decent place to live, Habitat for Humanity began in 1976 as a grassroots effort on a community farm in southern Georgia. The housing organization has since grown to become a leading global nonprofit working in more than 1,300 communities throughout the U.S. and in more than 70 countries. Families and individuals in need of a hand up partner with Habitat for Humanity to build or improve a place they can call home. Habitat homeowners help build their own homes alongside volunteers and pay an affordable mortgage. Through financial support, volunteering or adding a voice to support affordable housing, everyone can help families achieve the strength, stability and self-reliance they need to build better lives for themselves. Through shelter, we empower. To learn more, visit habitat.org.