
"Carlos Fonseca" is a neighborhood of tin shacks and dwellings put together in whatever manner possible. A shanty town, really. It is an organized neighborhood which began when a group of squatters moved onto a piece of land in Managua in 1989 (if I remember right). Since that time they have struggled and won legal land titles for their lots, electricity service, potable water, etc.
A Nicaraguan NGO called Habitar has worked with them in their organizing efforts, and hopes to complete a modest campaign to begin rebuilding homes in the neighborhood one by one so that the families have modest, but well built homes made from durable construction materials. The last government did not follow through with funding for the first phase of a planned project, and families are waiting to see if the new government will approve funding so that they may begin to further improve their neighborhood. To listen to the organizers of this neighborhood tell their story and express their great frustration over the project not moving forward was both heartbreaking and inspiring. My true hope is that they will be able to move on to the next phase of developing their neighborhood, and that true homes will begin replacing their current structures.
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