By Charisse Hazlett and Ana de Velde Harsenhorst

 Starting in 1996, a group of mothers started meeting together in La Boca, Buenos Aires, to drink milk, eat bread, and share life. They came together to share the food that they had, and support each other in the poor living conditions they found themselves in. Quickly, the group grew and the women started meeting at their local community center now known as Los Pibes. Johan, a young man working at the community center, gave us a tour around the center, and showed that there are a lot of diverse activities going on at the community center now. Upon first entering the building, you will see the computer area. Here, young and old alike can take classes that teach everything from how to use the internet to how to manage Microsoft Office. For many living in La Boca, this is the first time access to the internet has been available. With this new resource, there are extraordinary opportunities for learning and growth in the community. Once a month, “Los Pibes” Food Bank receives food from the government to be equally shared amongst the families who work at the center. Also, ingredients such as rice, flour, sugar, milk and pasta are used to make the three meals served each day.

The sewing cooperative is a key part of the community center. Starting with only a few sewing machines, the people involved managed to begin a dignified job. After a while, they received many donations and now have twelve machines. The women working here are very happy and constantly chatting about politics, which is a crucial occupation in the community, while sewing “guardapolvos”, primary school uniforms. In the radio room, Los Pibes broadcasts a program everyday called “Romper el Cerco”. They talk about the problems in the neighborhood, along with showing the beauty of their neighborhood which is rarely done. In essence, the radio station gives a voice to the voiceless, while aiming to inspire the population. Students can receive additional emotional and intellectual support in after school tutoring and alternative school. The philosophy of Los Pibes is that education brings freedom and everyone has to have the opportunity to be free.

The social support amongst the neighbours at the community center Los Pibes is a crucial factor in their daily struggles. The solidarity helps them overcome some of their troubles and supports them in their quotidian fight against the poverty, especially for decent and worthy housing. The current housing of a lot of residents in La Boca is very problematic. People are living in very poor conditions, often forced to share tiny spaces with too many people. Motivated by these problems a group of people within Los Pibes started the Cooperativa de Vivienda “Los Pibes” (Housing Cooperative “Los Pibes”). They managed to buy, converse and construct twelve real estate properties and make it a home to 48 families associated with Los Pibes. On top of that, this Cooperative is now constructing housing for another 33 families. Important in the formation of this cooperative was the approval of two new laws in parliament (341 and 525), facilitating the formation of housing cooperatives. As Johan told us, “Even though there was a lot of resistance, we managed to get the law through, and it enabled us to organize ourselves and receive credits for the building and repairing of real estate. However, since the Major is head of the city government, the funds have been emptied and this has caused us great delays ”.

This is how the Cooperativa looks now (it will be inaugurated in 2013). Due to the fact that the Los Pibes housing cooperative is feeling disadvantaged in such a manner, they participated in a mobilization last Wednesday, the 14th of November, organized in La Boca, Buenos Aires. Together with other residents of La Boca, they came together in the streets with banners, flags and brooms (to swipe away the injustice), protesting against the current situation in the neighbourhood. They protested because they feel that the laws that were to benefit them regarding housing were left unfulfilled. Also, the amount of people that is being thrown out of their house is increasing and the rents keep going up. This is all partly caused because there is a great new interest in this part of the city. Large real estate companies are interested in investing in the buildings and building ground. This way, the ‘locals’ and original residents of the neighbourhood are being pressured, disadvantaged and even evicted.

“The mayor is a business man, not a politician. He is not particularly interested in the well being of the residents; he just thinks about creating new business opportunities, which he can only do with his big real estate friends” says one of the demonstrators. So the peoples of La Boca took up their banners and brooms and occupied the streets to ask attention for the injustice that is being inflicted upon them. Now that this is done, it is time to talk about a plan for the future. Another meeting will be held today, the 22nd of November, hoping to find a solution to putting up a new plan and hoping some changes can be made to the housing plans in La Boca. http://www.voluntarioglobal.org/