Fundación Chacras de Buenos Aires (FCBA)

Sobre nosotros

Fundación Chacras de Buenos Aires (FCBA) is a non-profit organization founded in 2005 in the city of Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Our mission is to promote initiatives related to sustainable human development through education and actions to protect good environmental practices.

Our vision is to be an Argentinean institution that promotes environmental education and knowledge to build an environmentally responsible and socially cooperative society. Also, promote the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).*

Objectives:
• To provide the necessary information and knowledge to become aware of socio-environmental problems.
• To disclose responsible habits, customs and attitudes in relation to environmental protection.
• To empower the development of people with disabilities. Promote environmental education using their social-labour inclusion, reducing the multiple barriers they face and the lack of opportunities and support.
• To educate society as environmentally responsible citizens.
• To develop and/or collaborate on environmental education programs.
• To share and spread our ethical commitment but also our right to a healthier environment, from the environmental and social point of view.
• To collaborate with the fulfillment of the UN Sustainable Development Goals.To push for the incorporation of the principles of environmental stewardship into private corporations.
• To advise private companies based in Argentina about the UN Sustainable Development Goals and collaborate with them in the implementation.

Areas of focus
• Education
• Inclusion
• Technical assistance
• Natural construction & Organic agriculture
• Intercultural management and development
• Fair trade and tourism for all

Activities:
• Responsible Organic Waste Management
• Responsible Polymer Waste Management
Programs
• Newsan Group: Grupo Newsan is the leading group in Argentina in the production, marketing and distribution of consumer electronics and home appliances. Since 2015, Fundación Chacras de Buenos Aires facilitates the responsible management of waste at Grupo Newsan.
• Hospital Borda: At “Hospital Borda”, the largest and most notable psychiatric hospital in Argentina, we work together with the hospital´s staff and the patients. We help and teach them how to recycle and we mainly create eco bricks with plastic bottles that we use for constructions. In addition, we maintain and supervise the theatre´s equipment. The first Sunday of the month, the hospital invites the public to enjoy the artistic productions (songs, stand up, shows, paintings, etc) that the patients have been working during the previous weeks. With these activities we help patients to socialize and interact with others, being this, one of the main aspects of their treatment.
• Los probados : “Los probados” are people who have committed a violation of the law and are given the opportunity to do 6 months of community service* so as not to lose their freedom. This is known as probation law. The probation Law for the suspension of trial contributes to a more humane response in the criminal justice system. In addition, the community service is intended to help the community. This people participate in the Foundation´s workshops and programs, together with volunteers and Guardianes del Ambiente.

Guardianes Del Ambiente”, Volunteers & Interns: Our team is the most valuable part of the Foundation! Most of our local staff is people (between 16-25 years old) with neurological disabilities (autism, maturational delays, PDD, etc) and they are constantly motivated to conduct different projects. We call them “Guardianes del Ambiente”. They give awareness about environmental good practices. They are involved in all the activities/projects and they are responsible for teaching and showing their work to the communities and also to local and foreign volunteers.

Workshops:
• Eco Banquitos (Puff) Workshop: Constructive development of stools using eco-bricks as raw material, for own use or to donate.
• Eco Wildlife Construction Workshop: Constructive development of handmade toys using eco-bricks as raw material.
• Eco Construction Workshop: Recycling is very important, we propose doing it starting with creating our own game material. With the recycling of objects and utensils varied in our games we help the conservation of the environment, and the best use of resources.
• Organic Gardening
• Creative Metal Workshop: In this workshop, an Upcycling artist teaches how to create sculptures by reusing metal pieces, with which lamps, ornaments, sculptures, among other things, are achieved. The materials are reused in an intelligent way again, giving them a second life and function.
• Adobe Bricks Workshop: Adobe, a word that comes from the Arabic al-tub (طوب), is an uncooked brick, a piece of construction made of a mass of mud, mixed with straw and other fibers, molded in the shape of brick and dried in the sun. With them, various types of construction elements are built, such as walls, walls, clay ovens, rocket stoves, always rescuing the ancestral techniques of adobe and bioconstruction techniques.

Andrea Vega is the founder and director of the Fundación Chacras de Buenos Aires (FCBA).

For other net participants we can offer an expert guidance through trained staff, give an expert opinion, procure expert information and establish new contacts in the field of our work.