We will collect the money and send all of it to Habitat for Humanity International in Americus Georgia.  We will earmark the money for Verapaz El Salvador.  You will receive a contribution receipt from Habitat for Humanity for tax records.  As with all Habitat homes the homeowners must invest sweat equity and must repay the cost of the house through a no-interest loan.   

Another option is to send donations directly to Habitat International through the link on the left and ear mark it for El Salvador.  But it would not necessarily go directly to the town of Verapaz.

The picture to the right was found in the Habitat regional office.  It shows graphically how seed money, often from the US, is sent to El Salvador.  That money is combined with local fund raising efforts then the money is channeled to the local office.  Habitat buys building materials and tools to build a house.  The homeowners then repay their mortgage with the funds going back to the central office which in turn uses that money to buy more building materials.

You can think of your donation as a perpetual donation as in if you donate say $200, enough for a roof, then as the homeowner repays the money those funds will be recycled into another house.  So it really is the gift that keeps on giving.

The house to the right is a completed Habitat home near Verapaz.  The wooden structure to the left serves as their kitchen and a latrine is behind the house.   As you can see the Habitat homes in El Salvador are modest by any standard.  In 1997, Habitat El Salvador was building 375 sqft 2 room homes for smaller families and 425sqft 3 room homes for larger or extended families.  Currently the cost of a house is about $3900 US.

While the homes are small they are well built.  We have been told that all Habitat homes in Verapaz are still standing.  This is in a town where only 20 out of 550 homes are still standing after the second earthquake.  Habitat does it's best to work with the local economy.  Most materials are purchased locally giving jobs to other local people.  Some materials like the rebar (steel) in the walls, must however be imported.    All of the labor is local talent and most of the volunteer hours are local homeowners.  The Global work groups like ours supply less than 5% of the labor.