Villa Ticca in Argentina

Through our ex-coordinator of Villa Ticca Ecuador we came into contact with projects in Argentina. Mauricio Jimenez, a Colombian man with project experience in Colombia, Ecuador and Argentina asked us for help.

Argentina currently has an inflation rate of just under 100%, as a result of which more than 40% of the population lives below the poverty line. We are talking about millions of people who cannot eat a daily meal and live on the street. Due to the corona pandemic, small businesses went bankrupt and could not count on government help. Journalist Tom Dieusaert , who lives in Buenos Aires, says: “The country has also been dragging along a huge budget deficit and public debt for years. People are just printing money”, causing inflation to explode. . “The largest note here is a thousand pesos, which is about three euros,” says Dieusaert . “That is why people sometimes have to pay for a meal in a restaurant with mountains of money.”

Last year 2022 Evelien Kremer and Mariska Versteegh visited Argentina Together with Mauricio they visited various projects and talked to the people about their living conditions Many personal stories and deep impressions led to the decision to extend the border of Villa Ticca. There is now contact with a number of projects in which Mauricio participates on a weekly basis to get to know the organization better.

· Las Omas
In this project, around 300 women find a place where safety and a listening ear are offered. This project arose because a number of single, young women sat by the side of the road waiting for their children to come home from school They did not want to lose sight of their child for fear of kidnapping or bad influences. A lady from the business community, Alida, rented the building opposite the school so that the mothers could wait together while attending a number of workshops. This project has now grown into a community of 300 women who teach each other skills such as hair care and cooking. Villa Ticca is looking at the possibility of starting a shelter for the very youngest so that the mothers can devote themselves in peace to their task in the sewing workshop or the construction of an extra room. In addition, we are investigating whether a psychologist can be hired to help these women process their traumatic past.

· Septimo Mes
In this project, which has been in existence for 20 years, children can come for a meal, supervision with their schoolwork and various creative activities Opposite the project is a hospital where people in need stand in line all night waiting for a doctor’s consultation. Septimo Mes ensures that these people can have a hot drink and eat a sandwich while waiting. This project also offers the opportunity for children and young adults to learn to play a musical instrument and to learn how to make music together under the guidance of musicians who voluntarily contribute to this. The building in which this project is located is in need of renovation. Together with Villa Ticca, we look at how much we can help with repairing the walls and painting new inspiring murals.

· Comedor Chacras de la Merced
In the neighborhood of Las Chacras de la Merced , Karina lives in a very modest, self-built house She had to fight all her life for her existence. She can now live on the help of Las Omas and she wants to give something back to the community. There used to be several fruit trees in this district and everywhere it was green and fertile. People could live well from nature After the construction of a factory in this area, where many chemicals ended up in the water, there is nothing left of this fertile soil. It has turned into a desert, and the water is no longer drinkable. The people in this neighborhood have nothing left and the government is doing nothing. Karina has decided to provide these people with a meal and with the help of a good donor she can make a meal twice a week for 85 children in the neighborhood in her small house, on only one gas burner and with one pan. During the visit, Villa Ticca immediately decided to buy a number of pans, a mixer and kitchen utensils, but this is not enough We would like to look into the possibility of cooking more often during the week to better provide people with healthy food A vegetable garden, tables and chairs and of course a better layout of the kitchen are on the wish list. In collaboration with Karina, Mauricio and Villa Ticca, we are looking at how we can make this project more sustainable and self-sufficient.

· Casa para discapacitados de Liliana Regina
Liliana , 61 years old, has cared for five abandoned children for many years, who are now adults .They were left behind in their teens because of their disability and Liliana decided to take them in and legally adopt them later. There has been abuse and neglect when the children came to live with Liliana in their teens.
Liliana has devoted her entire life to taking care of these defenseless children who have grown into adults in terms of age, emotionally they have not developed beyond about 3 years Meanwhile, 4 “daughters” still live with Liliana : Gisela (44), Soledad (39), Analía (37) and Vanesa (39). Gisela is bedridden and cannot do anything independently, Vanesa is blind. They still use diapers and are completely dependent on the care provided by Liliana.
All this together ensures that Liliane has been working with them day and night for more than 20 years. She receives no structural help and never has a day off. Unfortunately, a home is too expensive and it is difficult to get help because of the high costs. It is too much for Liliane both emotionally and physically and we heard her cry for help. Mauricio has visited to see the situation on site and was shocked. There is a shortage of finances and next month the electricity in the modest house will be cut off due to payment arrears. Together with Mauricio, we are going to draw up a plan of action to structurally help this special woman as quickly as possible.