Mission
Our mission at Villa Verde is to convert the villas, or slums, of Buenos Aires into a positive space through creating a system of community urban gardens. Villa residents do not have many activities available to them, thus creating a feeling of helplessness and distance from the rest of the community. Through our program we hope to bring the residents a sense of fulfillment and better connect them with the rest of the city while also providing the base for a more nutritional diet. We will do this by first getting the tools to create the gardens by connecting local businesses to the villas. These businesses will help by donating their excess items such as tools and materials. Local restaurants will also help by donating any excess compost they have to the gardens. Volunteers proficient in the field of agriculture will teach the skills of gardening to members of the villa community, thereby creating a sustainable network of education and involvement. Once the gardens are thriving, nutritional specialists can come and explain how to use their produce in order to create a life-long healthy diet.
Vision
Ultimately we want to produce a sustainable system of healthy living in the Buenos Aires villas. This new way of living is created by those living within the Villas. The act of producing one’s own food creates a feeling of inclusion with the exclusive world. This will bridge the gap between the Villa community and that of the city. In addition, to fostering a healthy life style it also creates a healthy environment by increasing the aesthetics. The act of harvesting one’s dinner creates a sense of accomplishment and fulfillment, which those living in the Villas desperately need.
Who we are...
We are three students from different universities in the United States. We met each other in Buenos Aires, Argentina where we came to study abroad for a semester. During our time in Buenos Aires, we started to connect with the culture and the people we encountered. As we became more aware of the challenges facing local residents within certain barrios of Buenos Aires, we decided to do something about it, and from there grew the idea of Villa Verde.