This is the housing project I mentioned earlier, the newer buildings are those being built to house the people displaced when the government revitalizes the Malecon. It is a huge, sprawling complex in Eastern Habana. The neighborhood was developed in the 1970’s in the Soviet block style of building. It’s not a very pretty place with no urban planning so the buildings are all crowded together, and there’s over 100,000 people living here. Most of the buildings look like tenements.
Originally they were built by workers who didn’t really know what they were doing. They had no building skills, but Fidel had an idea that everyone should be able to build their own homes. So the people who were chosen to live here would work their day job, then come here at night to build their apartment. Thus, the building quality can be pretty awful in some of these places.
We are taken to a newer section of the neighborhood which was built a few years ago, and is still under construction. This project has 530 new units being built, but a construction company, not by the individuals who will live here. From the outside, these buildings look much nicer than the older buildings, with faux brick accents and pretty pastel colors. These homes are for the “Malecon” people – they will live here until the restoration is completed on those buildings and then – as I think we’ve already said – the government will choose who can move back to the Malecon. They will base the decision on people’s jobs, whether they have children in school, etc. If chosen to go back, the Malecon people will never own those homes, they will always pay rent to the government. If the people stay in Alamar, they will own their apartment outright.
As we pull up to the Construction entrance, the word goes out: The tourists are here! The kids come running from everywhere! They know we bring things. But most of our kid’s stuff is already gone, we were saving the adult stuff for here. But we manage to piece together things – Linda (who I do call “Tuna Fish lady”) has a bunch of food – like those little aluminum packets of tuna fish and salmon (i.e., the nickname) and cheese crackers. We have some pencils left. But we’re worried about being swarmed, these guys are so excited. So Julie steps up and says “I’ll handle the kids”. And handle she does! Although she’s lost in a sea of little ones – but they listen to her. They line up single file when she tells them and take what they are given happily - very fun to watch!
We walk over to two selected apartments to visit, down a little sidewalk and past the construction fence.
The apartments are very basic, extremely clean. Small blocky square rooms, little galley kitchen with single Bunsen burners and small refrigerators, nice tile bathrooms and patio/balconies on the back. We deposit our gifts and head back out to the bus.
The kids have followed us, of course, still asking for things. Most of us don’t have any more but I managed to find soap lurking in the bottom of my backpack and give it to one of the boys who had asked for something for his friend who didn’t get anything in the initial hand out. Sweet. Then they all line up for a photo op! Totally cute!
We head out past the rows and rows of complexes in the neighborhood…
….and down into our next stop – the Vivero Organoponiceo – the organic farm in the middle of the city where we will have lunch.
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