Phone Project in Bello Barrio, Valparaíso, Chile

The idea is to improve communication facilities in a South American favela by installing a Kiosco Mágico. The Chilean project is an international pilot. The aim is to establish partnerships with entrepreneurs and institutions that
can build communication and social capacity in so-called informal settlements in various countries around the world.

Project Idea

Bello Barrio is a slum neighbourhood in the Chilean port city of Valparaíso, situated on the Pacific coast, 60 km away from the capital Santiago. Previously, the favela inhabitants were squatters who occupied the grounds illegally. Now, the Chilean government has legalized such settlements to help destitute citizens find an affordable place to live.

The Kiosco Mágico will be an integral part of the neighbourhood Bello Barrio in Valparaíso and will be situated in the community house, the core unit. It will provide an excellent example of how mature, cheap communication tools can help build social and entrepreneurial capacity. Secondly, it will help improve social structures and leverage entrepreneurial activities for micro-business by teaming up with business and institutional partners – and thus support the favela inhabitants.

The Kiosco Mágico is equipped with a wireless internet base station, using WiFi or WiMax technology. A potential telecom or tech partner could provide computer terminals or Voice-over-Internet (VOIP) telephones to the community. This terminal would be connected to the WLAN, and could have a “local“ phone number, allowing the user to call anybody on the local network – or on the internet – for free. Since Telefónica phone subscriptions in Chile are expensive (approximately USD 500-600 per year), many citizens are without access to the public phone network. When it becomes possible, a POTS number series may be distributed and a VOIP gateway may allow users to be reached via the Telefónica network. It would also be possible for several houses to share a Telefónica subscription by using a sub-number series. If, for example, a group of citizens bought the subscription number 4812244, a network user could be reached using the sub-number 4812244-100. The user would then be able to conduct free phone calls in the neighbourhood network, as well as make and receive calls via the national Telefónica network. It would be possible for several users – e.g. an extended family or neigbourhood – to share a Telefónica phone line.
Citizens who cannot afford their own terminal, may use the kiosk free of charge when accessing the internet or calling other users via the internet. National and international phone calls may also be paid for on a by-the-minute basis. The Task Force needs a partner that can provide WiFi terminals, as well as network and switching equipment.
The Kiosco Mágico would have a unique design with a unique name and an easily recognizable logo, created together with the local community and supported by professionals. In the end, the concept can be applied to all sorts of communities that share an interest, not only slums.

OBJECTIVES

To investigate how people make use of different features by way of a series  of usability tests carried out by interaction designers To trace communication patterns and use of the new facilities To draw conclusions on how small communities function in terms of  communication To show how information and telecommunications technologies can enable business and encourage entrepreneurship To show how information technology may promote sustainable social change in poor communities by assisting people to participate

In return, we provide professional training and support to Bello Barrio to develop new features with and for the community.

The idea is to help improve social structures – and also to leverage entrepreneurial  activities for micro-business in Bello Barrio.

+ We market Bello Barrio as a Bed & Breakfast for students, interns + backpack travelers, create a website and help network

+ We offer workshops and training, i.e. on self-help architecture, marketing, PR, photography and other (business-related) subjects.

+ We help to set up a pilot project that can possibly be promoted as best practice later.

Background

Informal settlements used to be called slums. In 2007, for the first time in the history of mankind, the global urban population outnumbered that living in the countryside. Urban planners and architects try to tackle this enormous growth of cities and start work on what is colloquially termed favela upgrading. This means to improve living conditions exactly in places where the population increases. Originally, the term favela was forged in Brazil, but it is nowadays used for ad hoc settlements in the whole of South America. In many vases, slums that were illegal settlements at first, were later legalized. This happened to the community Bello Barrio in Chile, as well.

The problems of the favelas have been depicted in many films and magazines., For the Berlin-based architect Volker Bollig, the emphasis is on the potential for development that can be found in the favelas. Bollig has done research and projects in small settlements in Chile, both in Valparaíso and on the Pacific island of Chiloé. He investigated what lessons can be learned from the slums and their inhabitants, how they managed to translate social and communication structures into self-made architecture, drawing uniquely from the (natural) resources and/or garbage that surrounded them. His focal point was how social life generates (ad hoc) architecture – and vice versa.

The concept of Bello Barrio (“The Beautiful Neighbourhood”) originated in the Chilean neighbourhood San Roque (Valparaíso) itself, where 25 families with100 persons live. The idea and term of Bello Barrio was originally chosen by the inhabitants and then developed in cooperation with professionals. It describes people’s concept of what their ideal neighbourhood is about, in terms of

1. improved architecture

2. social and communication structures

3. entrepreneurial activities (micro-business)

The first step of this vision is the community house, the core of the project. The idea is to design and build it in cooperation with the inhabitants. The house contains both an asamblea (an assembly room for the families) and a Bed & Breakfast for paying guests (i.e. interns, students working on research projects for NGOs and backpack travellers). The Bed & Breakfast will enable the community to run their own micro-business, to network outside, andto share the money earned for commonly defined goals.

The  inhabitants developed these ideas with the help of internet-café-based communication. Thus, they have already  learned about the importance of access to internet and the potential of communication.

Our Services And Benefits For Sponsors And Partners

SERVICES

Development of detailed communication plan, prior to project, in close cooperation with potential partner(s), in order to define needs and goals of project in alignment with company’s philosophy and mission statements

Marketing website for Bello Barrio, with note and link,  featuring partner as sponsor Documentation about the project (and also the participants’) experience Featuring real-life stories that make a difference and are exemplary

Research and report aboutphone/communication market in Chile, and potentially, another country that might be interesting to approach for potential partner(s) Final recap in cooperation with potential partner(s) in   order to draw useful conclusions

BENEFITS

Bringing about powerful PR tools for partners to help promote sponsoring company as a „venture philanthropist“, embracing CSR (corporate social responsibility) as a part of their international business model Creating brand awareness for potential partner In-depth-knowledge of the South American market: users’ needs, profiles in emerging markets Contacts and „being-connectedness“ in Chile  and beyond Discussion about potential ideas for follow-up-projects in other Latin American, African & Asian communities that might benefit from communication facilities (seniors’ homes, schools etc.) Potentially, long-term partnership with Scandinavian Kaospilot programmes and School of Arts and Communication, also in Berlin/GER Partnership with Cape Peninsula University of Technology and their work in South Africa on how ICT can enable development in the local communities

Financing – Projection

This is a rough estimate that will have to be fine-tuned upon realization.

New Community House with Built-In Kiosco Mágico

The specialty about the Chilean pilot project is the community house that will also include B&B facilities for micro-business. It means that in this special case, the Kiosco Mágico will be integrated in this little building. The house will be made from wood and volcanic gravel and (adobe) stones, construction materials that are at the same time traditional (endemic) and also innovative (for energy-saving purposes).

Our partner in Chile is the NGO „Techo Para Chile“ – in English: “A Roof For Chile” (www.untechoparachile.cl).

The supporting organization in Germany, which has already cooperated with the Bello Barrio in the past, is the non-profitable “CASA para Chile e.V.” (www.casa-chile.de). Thus, we can guarantee tax deductibility.

Cost Projection

• Planning & construction of building: € 5.000,00
• Providing self-sufficient energy-source: € 3.000,00
• Compensation (2.000,00 € per month), depending on amount and scope of PR, research etc. services offered: € 6.000,00
• Intercontinental Flight*: € 1.000,00
• Board in Chile (20,00 € per day)*: € 1.800,00
• Lodging in Chile (rent per month: approx. 1.600,00 € for 4 persons = 4,800,00 total)*: € 1.200,00
• Transport (incl. rental car), communication, insurance etc.: € 1.000,00

Total cost estimation per person: € 11.000,00

Travel compensation (for 4 participants): € 44.000,00

Total project cost estimation: € 52.000,00

*Travel cost calculated per person for 90 days

Regarding the travel compensation, we might find a (corporate) co-sponsor, i.e. an airline, travel operator etc. Not all team members would necessarily go on one and the same misson(s) at the same time. As for working hours spent on the project, we did not calculate the preparation and concept time, looking for sponsors and all the cooperation with institutions like colleges and universities, where team members can possibly take (paid) time off to investigate and work in the project for research purposes for several weeks. This time is “funded” and added to the project.

FOR MORE DETAILED INFO, PLEASE CONTACT US.

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