My Evokation

My Evokation

The Evoke Community of Corumba Cue

The Place: Corumba Cue's community (Urbanization "La Familia") is a new urbanization formed by 52 low incomes families that acquired their housing at a subsidized cost (through a project of the Government). The community is located in the Mariano Roque Alonso District, covers an area of 4 blocks and is divided into 53 lots. Apart from these lots, the community possesses a large house that they have determined to use for establishing a Unit of Community Health.

Here is a map of the area: [La Familia http://www.urgentevoke.com/photo/support-evidence-for-my]

The Challenge: 50 years ago the Government promoted a similar project, "Barrio Obrero” (Neighborhood of Workers), so named because of its objective to provide the working population affordable access to the purchase of a first home.

Nevertheless, the project did not obtain the expected results, since the beneficiaries could not finance the advance for utilities, real-estate tax, and rates for the construction of stone pavements.

Nowadays Barrio Obrero is a prosperous neighborhood, but the original owners were forced to migrate to other neighborhoods because of the costs mentioned above.

The Community Evoke project of Corumba Cue aims at sustainable urbanization, offering the necessary resources to accommodate the community of 52 families, and learning from the challenges that face the Barrio Obrero project.

The main idea: is TO STRENGTHEN THE COMMUNITY, offering them resources that help to diminish costs and provide better living conditions, avoiding the displacement of the current family households.

Phases (Time Line of the Project http://www.urgentevoke.com/photo/support-evidence-for-my-1)

Phase 1: Production of urban gardens (vegetable gardens) for self-consumption and possible sale. (3 months)

We expect to have the support of the following organizations and institutions.

• Ministry of Agriculture for the provision of seeds (Vegetables and Fruits).
• Faculty of Agrarian Sciences (National University of Asuncion) for training on vegetable
  gardens and quality of land.
• Sponsor X (companies with policies of Social Responsibility) for the donation of
  materials for urban agriculture.

Expected result: Families will develop the necessary skills to provide themselves with homegrown food, decreasing
grocery expenses and contributing to a healthy diet.

Phase 2: Provision of Tanks for Rain Water and its System of Distribution for the community. (2 months)

We expect to have the support of the following organizations and institutions.

• Faculty of Engineering (National University of Asuncion) for training on the
  construction of water tanks and the necessary channels of distribution.
• Ministry of Public Health for training on the prevention of the Dengue Fever and the
  suitable use of water tanks.
• Sponsor X (companies with policies of Social Responsibility) for the donation of
  materials for construction.

Expected result: Families will have diminished water consumption expenses, using the rain water in the maintenance of vegetable gardens, some
housecleaning tasks, and laundry (among others uses).

Phase 3: Provision of knowledge and help for the use of alternative energies such as solar power and bio-fuels. (2 months)

We expect to have the support of the following organizations and institutions.

• Faculty of Environmental Sciences (National University of Asuncion) for training on the
  use of alternative energies and construction of solar panels and solar kitchens,
  and the production of bio-fuel.
• Sponsor X (companies with policies of Social Responsibility) for the donation of
  materials for construction and/or different solar powered and solar power
  production technologies.

Expected result: Families will have diminished electricity and gas expenses, using the solar power for the lighting of vegetable gardens, in local
streets throughout the community, and solar kitchens.

Phase 4: Economic Development of the Community by means of the creation of a Community Financial Entity (4 months)

We expect to have the support of the following organizations and institutions.

• Fundación Paraguaya for training in the creation of similar financial systems.
• Sponsor X (companies with policies of Social Responsibility) for the donation of office
  equipment for the local financial entity.

Expected result: The local financial entity will provide families the possibility of contributing social credit to
finance emergency health responses, purchase of school supplies for their children, and installment payment for city taxes.

Phase 5: Diagnosis of Four Phases of the Project, and Design of the following Stage according to results. (1 month) (12 months of monitoring).

The Money: This year I was elected as Director of the Avenue of Service to the Community of my Local Rotary Club. For this reason, I have decided to include this plan with the community projects to be developed by the club, forgoing the investment of US$1,000 offered by the World Bank Institute, since my club is in the position to access donations from different companies and subsidies shared by the Rotary Foundation.

I already thank you for the skills developing and the opportunity to be part, in the future, of the first EVOKE summit in Washington, DC and to have the support of online mentors.

Thank you for everything.