A graduate from MASHAV’s Young Leadership course together with members of a rural community in Ecuador utilized recycled materials to build a much needed clinic which will provide medical assistance to the local population. The project, which came into completion recently, was the initiative of María Ángela Serrano, a graduate from the 2011 Young Leadership: Tools and Methodologies course organized by MASHAV’s professional affiliate the Aharon Ofri International Training Center. Upon her return to Ecuador, she started the project at the rural community of Punta Hacienda. Under her leadership, the community collected and recycled over 13,000 plastic bottles, which were later filled with earth and sand, converting them into “green bricks.” Members of the community constructed together the 3-room building, and donated the cement and materials to build doors and windows, and finally the roof.
