Argentine students build homes in remote community
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Students from Goethe Secondary School in Boulogne, Argentina, have been working for 34 years through their “Learning-Service Solidarity Program” to support families in the remote Impenetrable region of Santiago del Estero province, and recently began constructing brick homes for them.
The program began with school support and expanded to include building one house per year, starting in 2025, for families living in difficult conditions. Students work alongside local residents, learning traditional building techniques like adobe construction and natural waterproofing methods.
The first house was built in the Iscay Pozo area for a family of eleven who previously shared a small dwelling. The students not only build homes but also provide educational support, vocational guidance, and health education within the community. They organize gardens, soup kitchens, and teach hygiene practices. The school collaborates with AtelierM, an architecture firm, and local materials are used whenever possible.
The second house, completed recently in San José del Boquerón, is intended to serve as a community center for the local “Friends of Boquerón” association and a model for future home construction. The program is funded through parent-led fundraising events like solidarity nights and fairs, and donations of goods. Mary Quadri, an 80-year-old teacher who has dedicated her life to education in the Impenetrable region, will live in the new house and continue her work supporting the community.
