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Reference Date: 26-07-1998
Experience selected in the 1998 Dubai Award for Best Practice, and catalogued as BEST.
(
Best Practices Database.)
País/Country: Spain
United Nations Region: Europe
Ecological region: Mountain
Activity: Village
Partnerships: Regional Government. Central Government.
Themes = Housing: access to housing finance; eco-logical design.
Poverty erradication: job creation; vocational training. Social
Services: education; health and welfare; recreation.
Main contact:
D. Ana Alvarez Peña
Cantabria Government (Regional Government)
C/ Hernán Cortés, 9
Santander
Cantabria
SPAIN
39002
Tel: +34 942 20 77 71
Fax: +34 942 20 77 74
Partner:
D. Pilar Vicente Yela
Ministry for Employment and Social Affairs (Central Government)
C/José Abascal, 39
Madrid
Madrid
SPAIN
28003
Tel: +34 91 347 74 90
Fax: +34 91 347 74 58
Partner One Support Type: Financial Support
Nominating Organization:
Marta García Nart
Spanish National Committee
Paseo de la Castellana 67
Ministerio de Fomento
Madrid
Madrid
SPAIN
28071
Tel: +34-91 597 75 72
Fax: +34-91 597 86 04
E-mail: mgnart@mfom.es
It has a population of 188 inhabitants spread between 35 family
units, they live in stone cabins with roofs made of slabs (flat
stone slates), each home has two floors with the ground floor used
as a stable and the upper floor for a barn and the living area,
since there are no separate rooms. They do not have running water
or bathroom facilities.
They have a school and a doctor's clinic and a shop which provides
basic products.
Their foodstuffs are mainly based on meat products, taken from
their own livestock, the main economic activity to which they
dedicate all their work (cattle, sheep and goats), with all of the
members in each family unit participating. The programme was set up
in June, 1994 (with a prior study being made in 1993), by virtue of
an Agreement signed with the Ministry for Social Affairs and the
Department of Health, Consumption and Social Welfare of the
Autonomous Community of Cantabria.
The following initiatives were carried out:
1. Situation before the initiative
The terrible living conditions, the isolation and the apathy of its
inhabitants were the reasons that led to the performance of a study
on the area. As the only access to the village they had a road
built in 1985, which reach the entrance to the village, where the
School, the Doctor's clinic and a shop for basic foods were
located.
The cabins are located on the mountainside with most of them
located about 15-20 minutes away from each other on foot.
They took their provisions home in "cuevanos" (large, deep baskets,
wider at the top, made of wickerwork material, which they carried
on their backs like a rucksack, with two handles that were held
over the shoulders) and on donkeys.
They acted and lived like their ancestors. The houses are stone
cabins with two floors, they cooked in the hearth (a kitchen stove
that is located on the floor, with an iron chain hanging in the
chimney place with a hook at the end for hanging the caldron).
They lacked running water and toilet facilities, the roofs were
made of slates (flat stone slates). They worked the high mountain
livestock and grazing stock, in the summertime they went up to live
in other cabins located at a higher altitude, with the same
characteristics which they usually live in for that the livestock
can graze. The basic problem that arose was the signs of apathy,
probably due to their withdrawn nature and lack of feelings of
change, which caused them problems to start making any change in
their daily lives.
The economy depended on the sale of livestock (sheep, goats, lambs
and cows) on the markets in the region.
Preparing information
We started by coming into direct contact with each one of the
families in their own home, drawing up a report on the family
situation for each one and on the dwelling (35 families).
Meetings with heads of each family to explain what the Programme
would consist of in accordance with the guidelines of Integration
at the proposal of the Ministry for Social Affairs, the Government
Institution which subsidises 50% of the Programme and the remaining
50% was paid for by the Autonomous Community of Cantabria.
Meeting with Mayors from the Municipal District and Local District:
meetings were held with an agricultural foreman, a doctor from the
area and a vet, each one of the Technicians maintained direct
contact in the Development of the Objectives.
2. Objectives, strategies and mobilization of resources
The general objective of the programme was that of improving the
living conditions for the inhabitants and their help.
The specific objectives designed were:
Improving conditions of habitability of the families through:
3. Process
The repair of the houses. This was started with the removal of the
grass from the barn (the place where the dried grass was stored),
since half of the living space was occupied by this grass (they
took 6 months to remove it all), for this purpose they received
advice from an agricultural foreman trainer for the creation of
silos (a place to keep grass, seeds, etc.). Then we started the
repair of the roofs, creation of separate rooms and creation of
bathrooms and kitchen, as well as installing running water.
In relation to food, based mainly on meat products and tinned
stuffs, we started with training on how to prepare menus (most of
the housewives did not know how to prepare a "normal" plate of
food), the Cookery Workshop was set up, with continues at the
present time with real interest. This meant how to use a fridge
better, which they owned, but which they only used for freezing
meat products from their own livestock.
The agricultural training involved learning how to grow fruit with
a small fruit garden and the products obtained were used in the
Cookery Workshop.
In the health aspect, we set up a control of vaccines for the child
population.
4. Results Achieved
Impact
The living conditions are changing, the population is participating
actively in the development of the Good Practice.
A leisure programme has been created with the children now going on
trips around the region in order to get to know other places.
The young people participate in the improvement of the
environmental conditions:
Moreover and the best part: They are becoming aware of the
potential development of the area in which they live and which they
are now capable of doing with their own means. The creation of
Co-operatives has been planned for some months, with reports being
sent to the Department for Industry and the Department of Farming
at the Autonomous Community of Cantabria in order to be able to
produce Programmes for Self-Employment.
Sustainability
The first step has already been taken, the continuation will depend
on the monitoring of the mobilisation of the human resources and
materials in order to be able to reach total independence. If they
achieve the formation of Co-operatives and good results in the
Self-Employment Programmes.
It is very important to keep on insisting on the training for the
young people and giving them access to studies for professional
training and even University education by supporting the families.
Lessons learnt
In the development of the programme we have learnt through the
people there that it is important:
5. The experience in numbers
Financial Profile:
Budget for 1994-1998: 34,775,764 ptas
contributed by:
| 1998 Spanish Best Practices selected by the International Jury > http://habitat.aq.upm.es/bpes/onu98/bp449.en.html |