By Natalie M. Colon-Arroyo | External Resources Consultant
Techos para el Caño continues to move forward, providing safe, resilient roofs for Hurricane Maria survivors in Caño communities in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Our architects continue to ensure that the roofs built are safe, resilient, well designed, and adapt to each home’s specific situation. They have assessed over 54 homes to evaluate hurricane inflicted damages, and to ensure that they can appropriately support a new roof. They adjust the typical design to each home’s particular situation, design individual, specific roof repairs, and produce a plan for construction. More assessments and designs are underway.
Contractors have carried out roof repairs or construction as specified by the architect, ensuring appropriate anchoring and construction. Thanks to your donations, and with the support of nonprofits, a total of 45 families now have a new, resilient, permanent roof over their heads. We will continue working to provide safe, resilient roofs for Caño Martín Peña families.
Our architects inspect each roof after it has been fully constructed to ensure quality and compliance with standards. Inspections for 43 of the 45 roofs constructed have been completed. Inspections have yielded positive results, meaning roofs inspected have been constructed according to the standards and specifications set by our architects.
Each family we help has unique situations and problems that can delay construction of the roofs. We’ve adjusted the project’s team so families have access, not only to professionals (architects and contractors), but also to support from their peers. A Techos para el Caño committee has been created by G-8 through which community leaders provide support to the families and act as liaisons between families, contractors, architects and other team members. This has helped keep the project progressing, while still being sensitive to people’s needs.
Since over 1,000 homes lost their roofs, there is still great need in our communities, so we now hope to build roofs for at least 80 of the affected families. With your support we can continue helping many more Caño families. The gratitude expressed by our community members inspires us to continue helping people rebuild their homes and their lives. We invite you to be inspired by their words as well:
“Tengo que comprar una tarjeta para dar las gracias a G-8, porque ese techo quedó precioso. Estoy muy agradecida pues ya mi mamá puede estar tranquila.”
“I have to buy a greeting card to thank G-8, because this roof is beautiful. I’m very grateful because now my mom can have peace of mind.”
- Daughter of Doña Juanita
“Estoy feliz con el techo; ¡quedó de show!”
“I’m happy with the roof; it’s spectacular!”
- Doña María, homeowner
“Buenas tardes, agradeciéndole muchísimo su colaboración para la construcción del techo de mi casa y todo el equipo de trabajo que colaboró en que esto se lograra. Gracias mil y muchas bendiciones a todos...”.
“Good afternoon, thanking you very much for your collaboration for the construction of the roof of my home, and thanks to the whole team who collaborated so this could be accomplished. A thousand thanks, and many blessings to everyone…”
- Doña Nilda, homeowner
“Esto es una bendición del cielo”.
“This is a blessing from heaven.”
- Kimberly, homeowner
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